in 2001 he was elected to the italian senate as representative of the südtiroler volkspartei in an electoral cooperation with the ulivo party. he was re-elected in 2006 in cooperation with romano prodis coalition and 2008 in cooperation with the partito democratico, which itself is a successor party to the ulivo and the unione of prodi parties: 2001 (svp-ulivo), 2006 (svp-unione) and 2008 (svp-autonomie).