Member of the Parliament (France) and President of the French Alliance of Territories.
From 1997 to 2002, he was a Law professor and European Politics at the Lyon-II and Lyon-III universities. From 2008 to 2014, he was Vice President of Greater Lyon, Delegate for International Cooperation and Solidarity and President of the Commission for Cooperation and Development of the World Organization of Local Authorities, Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).