French politician Jacques Delors, architect of the euro zone, died on Wednesday, his daughter announced. He was 98 years old.
Delors took over as president of the European Commission in 1985, paving the way for a more united continent. During his decade at the helm of the body, the longest of any president, he laid the foundations for the euro as a common currency and steadfastly championed the concept of European unity despite economic crises and political unrest.
When southern European countries such as Spain and Italy were on the verge of bankruptcy, Delors held the union together because the United Kingdom and other northern states in particular wanted to leave the less well-off behind. Migration also threatened to divide the Union, leading to political tensions that increased again decades later.
Delors first envisioned the euro in 1989 in a report now named after him – a revolutionary idea of several independent countries using a single currency – and the continent adopted the currency a decade later after controversial debates. The currency now spans 20 nations, the majority of EU members, and is considered one of the strongest currencies in the world.
His term at the EU also saw the introduction of the Schengen area, one of the Union's key policies, allowing free and open movement of people between member states. The agreement allowed less wealthy workers from remote parts of Europe to move to wealthier countries and build new lives there, all without government interference.
It also boosted European tourism and destroyed border gates and passport controls across the continent.
For Delors, a united Europe was a true rival to the United States and the emerging economy of Japan, a far cry from the war-torn continent of his childhood. Like many European communitarians, he viewed unbreakable political and economic ties as the best defense against another global war.
Even in retirement, he called for European cooperation. In 2020, he advised European leaders to act together against COVID-19, a situation that has seen member states bicker over travel and economic policies.
Delors warned that the virus and rising nationalism around the world could spell the end of the union if its leaders did not adhere to principles of unity.
“We are facing a crisis that is different from previous crises,” he told The Guardian. “The communal spirit of Europe is weaker today than it was ten years ago.”
European leaders praised Delors on Wednesday.
“His life’s work is a united, dynamic and prosperous European Union,” said current European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saidHe called him a “visionary who has made our Europe stronger.”
“It has shaped entire generations of Europeans, including mine,” she added.
French President Emmanuel Macron also praised his compatriot. Delors was an influential economics minister in several French governments before taking the helm of the EU.
“His commitment, ideals and integrity will always inspire us. “I pay tribute to his work and his memory and share the grief of his loved ones,” Macron said said.
Delors is survived by his daughter Martine Aubry, a prominent French politician and former leader of the Socialist Party, of which he was also a member.
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