Jacques Delors, the former President of the European Commission, played a pivotal role in shaping the modern European Union. His ideas and policies had a profound impact on European integration, the adoption of the single market, and the creation of the euro. Although he faced opposition from the UK and saw the country eventually break away from the European project in the Brexit referendum, his legacy as an architect of European unity cannot be denied.
Born on July 20th, 1925, near the Place de la Bastille in Paris, Delors came from a family with diverse political views, ranging from socialism to communism. His father, a left-leaning socialist, worked as an usher at the Banque de France and was a committed pacifist. Delors’ education was disrupted by World War Two, but he eventually joined the Banque de France and embarked on a successful career in finance.
Delors and his wife Marie became active in the Catholic trade union movement, advocating for a more secular approach to membership. His involvement led to working with the French government to foster cooperation between employers and workers. After the social unrest of May 1968, Delors’ ideas gained recognition, and he was appointed as chief adviser on social and cultural affairs to Prime Minister Jacques Chaban-Delmas, despite his affiliation with the Socialist party.
Over the years, Delors straddled the political divide, joining both left-wing and conservative governments. In 1979, he secured a seat in the European Parliament and was appointed as the chair of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee. As a member of the Socialist party, Delors became the Minister of Finance under President François Mitterrand, where he grappled with controlling public debt and inflation.
In 1985, Delors assumed the role of President of the European Commission. His first term saw him advocate for the creation of a single European market, free from internal trade barriers. His relentless pursuit and economic recovery in Europe led to the signing of the Single European Act in 1987, which committed member states to remove trade barriers by 1993.
Delors’ second term as President witnessed the culmination of his vision with the signing of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. This historic treaty established the euro and laid the foundations for the modern European Union. Delors believed that a strong economic union was necessary for Europe to compete globally, but he also stressed the importance of a social dimension and a powerful central government to ensure a fair playing field.
His ideas faced opposition, most notably from British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who famously declared that a unified Europe would never come to fruition. The UK’s subsequent negotiation of an “opt-out” from certain aspects of the Maastricht Treaty and its decision to remain outside the eurozone demonstrated the challenges Delors faced in his quest for European integration.
After leaving office in 1994, Delors continued to influence European affairs as the President of the College of Europe in Bruges. He recognized that not all member states were eager for further integration, particularly with the economic issues plaguing the euro area. He stated that he understood why the UK chose to stay out of the single currency, acknowledging that the benefits of the euro had not been fully maximized.
In the lead-up to the Brexit referendum in 2016, rumors swirled that Delors secretly wanted Britain to leave, as it could accelerate the process of integration in other member states. However, he vehemently denied these claims, reiterating that he considered the UK’s participation in the EU to be positive for both the country and the Union as a whole.
Despite the UK’s decision to leave the EU, Jacques Delors’ legacy as an architect of European unity remains. His unwavering belief in the ideals of peace, unity, and cooperation shaped the modern European Union as we know it today. While his vision faced opposition and challenges, Delors’ influence on European integration cannot be underestimated. He established a framework that allowed for the expansion of membership and the creation of a single market, ultimately leading to the adoption of the euro. Jacques Delors will be remembered as a visionary leader whose ideas shaped the course of European history.
