She is chair of the Franco-German Foundation for Cultural Cooperation, president of the European Children's Book Fair Association, member of the ZDF Television Council, president of the Saar Adult Education Association, vice-president of the European Movement on the Saar. She also is president of Women in the EPP and executive member of the European People's Party. She was a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and of the Assembly of the Western European Union (1981–1983 and 1985–1989). She is chairwoman of the advisory board of A Soul for Europe.
She graduated from teaching college in 1965 and worked as a teacher in primary schools until 1974. From 1983 to 1985, she was employed by the Saarland Ministry of Education. In 2007 she got honoris causa doctorate at University of Zadar (Croatia).