Former EU Commission President Jacques Delors dies at 98 • FRANCE 24 English

Former EU Commission President Jacques Delors dies at 98 • FRANCE 24 English

Well he was probably the longest standing president of the European Commission in terms of mandates because uh even though he only did 10 years which is something other Commissioners did uh he was there at the head of a commission for uh three consecutive mandates because the uh commission

Changed uh during his tenure so in the middle of it he had to change from the two to the three he stayed there for 10 years and he had the sport uh an overwhelming support from all the um well nine capitals at the time uh when he was elected when he was selected

Uh for this position as president of the European commission uh coming out of the French uh Ministry of finances uh obviously he had the ear of FR miton who was then uh the French President but he was also uh keen on proving that he had the trust of the German Chancellor and

And also could work with the Britains on the other side of the channel uh at a time where his um projects for Europe were not very well received in London uh because as you said he was the one who launched a a series of uh dramatic challes uh for the construction of the

EU institutions and as you uh said he he was at the origin of some of those things some of the main elements of the Europe that we know today what uh do you think uh his legacy is and will be when it comes to the European Union well you

Have to knowe that he is the only European leader while still alive who had a building in his name in Brussels the btim jaor which is in front of the European commission uh so that’s that just goes to show this is anotic just goes to show how important Jack delor

Was for the building of the current EU Institution uh it changed under under his um under his R so to speak it changed from the e economic Community towards a shift towards uh the European Union which happened after 1992 um and he was the one who wanted to

Have a common currency in order to sustain the common market and he’s the one who built this Common Market uh the ACT unique europea was during his tenure under his aices and afterwards you spoke about shenen but probably the most iconic realization which he uh put into

Movement was the realization of the uh European monetary Unity the European currency the Euro was after all his idea because he thought in order to have a an efficient economic Community you had to have a common currency and that is probably main Legacy today as well as

The change of name from eec to European Union

Former European Commission President Jacques Delors, a founding father of the European Union’s historic single currency project, has died at the age of 98. FRANCE 24’s Correspondent in Brussels Pierre Benazet remembers: “Delors was the one who wanted to have a common currency in order to sustain the common market”.

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