René Steichen is a Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...

ian politician and jurist.

A member of the Christian Social People's Party

Christian Social People's Party

The Christian Social People's Party , abbreviated to CSV or PCS, is the largest political party in Luxembourg. The party follows a Christian Democratic and conservative ideology and, like most parties in Luxembourg, it is strongly pro-European...

 (CSV), Steichen first held office as Mayor of Diekirch (1974–1984). He entered the Chamber of Deputies

Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg

The Chamber of Deputies , abbreviated to the Chamber, is the unicameral national legislature of Luxembourg. 'Krautmaart' is sometimes used as a metonym for the Chamber, after the square on which the Hôtel de la Chambre is located....

 in 1979. In 1984, he entered the government as a Secretary of State

Secretary of State

Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....

, in which capacity he served until 1989, when he was promoted to Minister for Agriculture, Viticulture, and Rural Development. In 1992, he became Luxembourg's European Commissioner

European Commissioner

A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each Member within the college holds a specific portfolio and are led by the President of the European Commission...

, responsible for Agriculture and Rural Development

European Commissioner for Agriculture & Rural Development

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development is a member of the European Commission. The post is currently held by Commissioner Dacian Cioloş...

. Steichen remained in this capacity until 1995, when he was replaced as Luxembourg's European Commissioner by Jacques Santer, who was named President of the European Commission

President of the European Commission

The President of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission ― the executive branch of the :European Union ― the most powerful officeholder in the EU. The President is responsible for allocating portfolios to members of the Commission and can reshuffle or dismiss them if needed...

.

He is currently the chairman of SES S.A., the world's largest satellite operator and the largest component of Luxembourg Stock Exchange

Luxembourg Stock Exchange

The Luxembourg Stock Exchange is a stock exchange based in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg.The Exchange is located on avenue de la Porte-Neuve,...

's premier LuxX

LuxX Index

The LuxX Index is the main stock market index of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, the stock exchange based in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. The LuxX is a weighted index of the eleven most valuable listed stocks by free floated market capitalisation...

 index

Stock market index

A stock market index is a method of measuring a section of the stock market. Many indices are cited by news or financial services firms and are used as benchmarks, to measure the performance of portfolios such as mutual funds....

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