Juncker was born in Redange and spent the majority of his childhood in Belvaux. His father, Joseph, was a steel worker and Christian trade unionist who was forcibly conscripted into the German Wehrmacht during

Early years
Following Juncker's graduation from the University of Strasbourg, he was appointed as a

In early November 2014, just days after becoming head of the commission, Juncker was hit by media disclosures—derived from a document leak known as LuxLeaks—that Luxembourg under his premiership had turned into a major European centre of

National honours
• 1985: Knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France)
• 1988: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit

Presidency of the Eurogroup
In 2004, the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers decided to replace the rotating chairmanship with a permanent president. Juncker was appointed as the first permanent president and assumed the chair on 1 January

In addition to his native Luxembourgish, Juncker is fluent in English, French, German and Latin.
Juncker suffers from sciatica attacks following a 1989 car accident, which cause him occasional unsteadiness while walking. A video of

• List of prime ministers of Luxembourg
• Juncker–Poos Ministry (1995–1999)
• Juncker–Polfer Ministry (1999–2004)