Celebrating the Legacy of Jacques Delors: Statesman Who Transformed the European Union, 1898-2021

French statesman and economic advisor Jacques Delors, the man who helped shape the modern European Union, has passed away at the age of 98. Delors’ experience in European integration, financial engineering, and economic restructuring formed the basis of what became the European Union. The former French prime minister served three stints as the president of the European Commission from 1985-1995 and as a passionate advocate of European integration. He was an influential leader at the official negotiations of the European Union at the 1992 Maastricht Treaty, which established the framework for the EU and the single currency of Euro. He was a founding member and President of the Committee of the Regions of the European Union, chairing two sessions between 1994 and 1998, representing the European Commission. At the age of 84, he ran for the European presidency in 2004. He was highly respected and appreciated for his innovative economic policies, which included the creation of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism, the single market across the continent, and an extension of stage three of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). An eloquent and committed defender of the European project, Delors was awarded numerous honors for his work, including the Charlemagne Prize in 1988 and the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour in 1994. He also received the freedom of several French cities, including Paris. Though his vision of a federal Europe may have been unpopular amongst some prominent European figures, there can be no doubt of his dedication to a unified continent. He was an ardent believer in the ‘European dream’ and his passing marks a special moment of mourning in European history.