Gaston Thorn, 78; former prime minister of Luxembourg
Gaston Thorn, 78, a former prime minister of Luxembourg and ex-president of the European Commission, died Sunday in Brussels, a government official announced.
No cause of death was immediately provided. It was also not clear whether he had died at home or at a hospital, according to a spokeswoman for Luxembourg’s government press service who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The longtime politician and businessman, who led the government in the tiny Duchy of Luxembourg from 1974 to 1979, was known as a strong advocate of European integration.
Born in the city of Luxembourg on Sept. 3, 1928, Thorn took part in the resistance against Nazi occupation during World War II and spent several months in prison. After the war, he studied law in France before entering politics in Luxembourg, rising steadily through Liberal Democrat party ranks.
Thorn was well-known on the international stage and held the post of president of the U.N. General Assembly from 1975-1976.
He was appointed chairman of the Commission of the European Economic Community, the forerunner of the now 27-nation European Union, between 1981 and 1985.
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