The French politician had been president of the European Union – The important role played by Delors in European integration was pointed out by Emmanuel Macron
The former president of the European Commission, the “father” of the euro and figure of the French left, Jacques Delors, died today at the age of 98his daughter, Martine Aubry, told AFP.
“He died in his sleep this morning (Wednesday) at his home in Paris,” said Martine Aubry, mayor of Lille.
Having served as finance minister under the presidency of François Mitterrand (1981-1984), Delors dashed the left’s hopes by refusing to run in the 1995 French presidential election, despite appearing as the heavy favorite in opinion polls.
“I don’t regret anything,” but “I’m not saying I did the right thing,” he told Le Point magazine in 2021. “I wanted to be independent and I felt different from those around me. My own way of doing politics was not the same,” he had said.
Delors, a staunch supporter of post-war European integration, served as president of the European Commission for three terms – more than any other holder of the post – from January 1985 to late 1994.
In Brussels, Delors played the role of architect in shaping the contours of modern Europe: establishing the single market, signing the Schengen agreements, the Single European Act, establishing the Erasmus student exchange program, reforming the common agricultural policy, launching the Economic and Monetary Union that would lead to the creation of the euro.
In March 2020, he had again called on EU heads of state and government to show more solidarity at a time when they were struggling for a common response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
With his think tanks, he called for the strengthening of European federalism until the end, demanding more “boldness” in the era of Brexit and attacks from “populists of all kinds”.
The important role that Jacques Delors played in the political life of France, his contribution to the construction of a united Europe and his struggles for more social justice were underlined by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, in his announcement on the occasion of the death of the former president of the European Commission .
His struggles and ideals will bind us forever, underlined the president of France, welcoming the work of Jacques Delors.
Source :Skai
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