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Gaston Egmond Thorn (3 September 192826 August 2007) was a Luxembourgish politician who served in a number of high-profile positions, both domestically and internationally. He most prominently served as prime minister of Luxembourg (1974–1979), President of the United Nations General Assembly (1975), and president of the European Commission (1981–1985).
Thorn was Foreign Minister and Foreign Trade Minister of Luxembourg from 1969 to 1980, Prime Minister from 1974 to 1979 and Minister of Economics from 1977 to 1980. He was also President of the United Nations General Assembly from 1975 to 1976 for its 30th session.
As Prime Minister from 1974 to 1979 he presided over a socialist-liberal coalition, between his own Democratic Party and the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party. This was the first Luxembourg government since World War II that did not involve the dominant Christian Social People's Party (CSV), and similarly, he was the first non-CSV prime minister since the war. He was the head of government even though his party had fewer seats in the legislature than its coalition partner.
His presidency was marked by several difficulties. It coincided with a time of economic and political crisis, of Eurosclerosis, inside the European Community. Relations between the commission and British government under Margaret Thatcher declined, over her demands that Britain should be compensated by other countries for its share of payments towards the commission budget. There was also tension due to other EC governments' reservations about Britain's role in the Falklands War; and due to some European leaders' opposition to United States foreign policy and the deployment of cruise missiles and Pershing missiles in Europe. This was in addition to the long-running international recession, and occasional threats of trade wars. This all "combined to put the aspirations of Thorn and other supporters of European integration on hold". However, as EC President, Thorn did manage to reach agreement on a common fisheries policy, and laid the basis for Portugal and Spain joining the European Community. Greece had just joined when his mandate started in 1981.
Although Thorn was not considered a very forceful commission president, during his term of office the commission continued to expand its power, both at the expense of the national governments of EC members, and of the European Parliament, with which it engaged in a constant power struggle. In this, Thorn laid the groundwork for his successor Jacques Delors, who took the commission to the height of its power.
Thorn remained active in international and political affairs, as President of the International European Movement and as a member of the Trilateral Commission, the Bilderberg conference and of the Jean Monnet Committee. He was also president of the Liberal International. He was married to Liliane Thorn-Petit (1933–2008), a journalist, with whom he had one son.
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