Tributes pour in for Jacques Delors, ‘architect’ of the modern EU • FRANCE 24 English

Tributes pour in for Jacques Delors, ‘architect’ of the modern EU • FRANCE 24 English

Now joined by MEP Fabian Keller thank you so much for being with us can you tell us first of all about how Jac deore shaped the European Union as it is today oh he was uh president of the European commission for 10 years during which he built the monetary and economic

Union that is a set of rules that helped our economies to converge prepare ing the path for the euro in 2000 he was also a great advocate of solidarity so he created funds to help member states in difficulties and that was a is very important and we live that

Very recently with the covid crisis we were able to be together and help all the member states um he W he also was president at the time of the four of the Berlin War uh that is that was a very important change in Europe and it was

Very close to elmut K at that time the German Chancellor so he was able to build Bridges between France and Germany and all over Europe to prepare the admission of the new member states years later so it was a kind of great architect of uh Europe we are living in today

Indeed president from 1985 to 1995 so it fell right in the middle of his presidency the fall of the Berlin Wall now he was a very strong character stubborn uh many thought having a very strong belief also in centralized government in Brussels this put him at

Odds with Euros Skeptics uh do you think this sometimes counted against him or was it necessary to achieve what was necessary I I’m not sure we can say he was advocate of a centralized uh commission he wanted a strong commission uh making proposals um helping him to develop his

Project for a strong Europe again with a great uh solidarity between member State efficient in terms of organization so he he was president at the time of uh economic reforms but also also uh he launched the Erasmus program that helped students going all over Europe he launch

The shenen area that is the free movements in Europe and all the the rules that go with that uh so he was quite a reformist willing to show that some issues are better managed at the European level uh so he was um a a builder of of Europe and I must say that

He felt very well in this uh compromises that is uh the principle in decisions in Europe you have to work with all governments with a centralized uh uh majority that is excluding the extreme in the European Parliament so has his own history with shabon Del Mass a center right goist prime minister he

Worked with as you said in your report and and with choosing miton Center left later he was really built intellectually also to um respect all of the chief of governments and to make progress and to be re heard by by all the European leaders and to share his views so maybe

That’s the reason why he felt better at the European level rather than in the French system where it’s more left against right part of the political Spectrum after leaving office in 1995 did he uh leave it to obscurity or did he continue to have an influence uh

On the Block after that point he still had a very strong influence uh he would always be very loyal to his socialist friends you showed how he supported jpa and seen Royal candidates for the French presidency but he did developed also his ideas in his own foundation called initially not Europe that’s very

Inclusive showing that it’s our Europe the Europe we share and now it’s called the foundation Jac delore developing all sorts of programs for young leaders for intellectual ideas to organ organizing meetings among people of different opinions but who all believe in Europe so if continues his U uh his task but in

Um not anymore in a such so political way and he was really a giant of the European Union can you tell us uh when the news broke that he had died uh how people have been reacting there oh people was very sad because he’s an image he’s a face of the constructive

Europe of human Europe of solidarity in Europe may I say that the same very same day yesterday Vol gang sh another great European who is German he was Minister of Finance but also a very much friend of Franco German relationships and uh who very was also a very strong European uh disappeared so

We have two big images and faces of the future of Europe the the prospective the strong future of Europe who left us yesterday but they leave a strong message that we received or they built and we have to make it even stronger Fabian Keller thank you so

Tributes from across Europe poured in for Jacques Delors, a former EU Commission chief who played an instrumental role in European integration, following his death on Wednesday (December 27) at 98. FRANCE 24 spoke to Fabienne Keller, member of the European Parliament.
#EU #Delors #economy

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