Jacques Delors: Difference between revisions
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'''Jacques Lucien Jean Delors''' ({{IPA|fr|ʒak lysjɛ̃ ʒɑ̃ dəlɔʁ}}; 20 July 1925{{snd}}27 December 2023) was a French politician who served as the eighth [[president of the European Commission]] from 1985 to 1995.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Drake|first=Helen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FlQYBmKBwp8C&pg=PA1|title=Jacques Delors: Perspectives on a European Leader|date=11 September 2002|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-80399-6|language=en}}</ref> |
'''Jacques Lucien Jean Delors''' ({{IPA|fr|ʒak lysjɛ̃ ʒɑ̃ dəlɔʁ}}; 20 July 1925{{snd}}27 December 2023) was a French politician who served as the eighth [[president of the European Commission]] from 1985 to 1995.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Drake|first=Helen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FlQYBmKBwp8C&pg=PA1|title=Jacques Delors: Perspectives on a European Leader|date=11 September 2002|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-80399-6|language=en}}</ref> Delors played a key role in the creation of the [[European single market|single market]], the [[euro]] and the modern [[European Union]]. |
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As president of the European Commission, Delors was the most visible and influential leader in European affairs. He implemented the [[European integration|policies that closely linked]] the [[Member state of the European Union|member nations]] together and promoted the need for unity. He created a [[single market]] that made the [[free movement of persons]], capital, goods, and services within the [[European Economic Community]] (EEC) possible. He also headed the so-called [[Delors Committee]] which proposed the [[monetary union]] to create the euro, a new single currency to replace individual national currencies. This was achieved by the signing of the [[Maastricht Treaty]] in 1992.<ref>Gino Raymond, ''Historical Dictionary of France'' (2008) pp 199–101, 124–25.</ref> |
As president of the European Commission, Delors was the most visible and influential leader in European affairs. He implemented the [[European integration|policies that closely linked]] the [[Member state of the European Union|member nations]] together and promoted the need for unity. He created a [[single market]] that made the [[free movement of persons]], capital, goods, and services within the [[European Economic Community]] (EEC) possible. He also headed the so-called [[Delors Committee]] which proposed the [[monetary union]] to create the euro, a new single currency to replace individual national currencies. This was achieved by the signing of the [[Maastricht Treaty]] in 1992.<ref>Gino Raymond, ''Historical Dictionary of France'' (2008) pp 199–101, 124–25.</ref> |
Revision as of 04:30, 28 December 2023
Jacques Delors | |
---|---|
President of the European Commission | |
In office 7 January 1985 – 24 January 1995 | |
Vice President | Frans Andriessen |
Preceded by | Gaston Thorn |
Succeeded by | Jacques Santer |
Minister of Finance | |
In office 22 May 1981 – 17 July 1984 | |
Prime Minister | Pierre Mauroy |
Preceded by | René Monory |
Succeeded by | Pierre Bérégovoy |
Member of the European Parliament | |
In office 1 July 1979 – 25 May 1981 | |
Constituency | East France |
Personal details | |
Born | Jacques Lucien Jean Delors 20 July 1925 Paris, France |
Died | 27 December 2023 Paris, France | (aged 98)
Political party | Socialist |
Spouse |
Marie Lephaille
(m. 1948; died 2020) |
Children | 2, including Martine |
Alma mater | University of Paris |
Jacques Lucien Jean Delors (French pronunciation: [ʒak lysjɛ̃ ʒɑ̃ dəlɔʁ]; 20 July 1925 – 27 December 2023) was a French politician who served as the eighth president of the European Commission from 1985 to 1995.[1] Delors played a key role in the creation of the single market, the euro and the modern European Union.
As president of the European Commission, Delors was the most visible and influential leader in European affairs. He implemented the policies that closely linked the member nations together and promoted the need for unity. He created a single market that made the free movement of persons, capital, goods, and services within the European Economic Community (EEC) possible. He also headed the so-called Delors Committee which proposed the monetary union to create the euro, a new single currency to replace individual national currencies. This was achieved by the signing of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992.[2]
Before becoming president of the European Commission, he was minister of Finance of France from 1981 to 1984, and a member of the European Parliament from 1979 to 1981.[3]
French politics
Born in Paris in a family originating from Corrèze, Delors first held in the 1940s through the 1960s a series of posts in French banking and state planning with the Bank of France.[3] As a member of the French Confederation of Christian Workers (CFTC), he participated in its secularization and the foundation of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT). In 1969, he became social affairs adviser to the Gaullist Prime Minister Jacques Chaban-Delmas, a move which was presented as part of Chaban's outreach to the centre-ground and first attracted media attention to Delors personally.[3]
In 1957, Delors left the CFDT when he became a high government official to avoid conflicts of interests. In 1974 Delors joined the Socialist Party, with other left-wing Christians. He was one of the rare members of the party to be openly religious, thus challenging its long-standing secular tradition of laïcité.[4] He served in the European Parliament from 1979 to 1981, becoming chairman of its Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, actively taking part in debates about economic, social, and monetary policies.[3] Under President François Mitterrand, Delors served as Economics and Finance Minister from 1981 to 1983, and Economics, Finance, and Budget Minister from 1983 to 1984.[3] He advocated a pause in the social policies, a clear acceptance of the market economy, and an alignment with European social democracy. Critically, he held the line on France's membership of the European Monetary System (EMS), giving priority to monetary stability over left-wing spending priorities. Mitterrand flirted with the idea of naming him Prime Minister, but never made the appointment.[citation needed]
President of the European Commission
Delors became the President of the European Commission in January 1985. During his presidency, he oversaw important budgetary reforms and laid the groundwork for the introduction of a single market within the European Community. It came into effect on 1 January 1993 and allowed the free movement of persons, capital, goods, and services within the Community.[5][6]
Delors also headed the Committee for the Study of Economic and Monetary Union, widely known as the Delors Committee, that in early 1989 proposed the monetary union to create a new currency—the euro—to replace individual national currencies. This was done in the 1992 Maastricht Treaty.[7]
In opposition to the strident neoliberalism of U.S. president Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) that dominated the American political agenda, Delors promoted an alternative interpretation of capitalism that embedded it in the European social structure. He synthesized three themes.[8] From the left came favouring the redistribution of wealth and the protection of the weakest. Second, a neo-mercantilist approach wanted to maximize European industrial output. A third was reliance on the marketplace. His emphasis on the social dimension of Europe was and remains central to a strong narrative that became a key element of the self-identification of the European Union.[9]
The Delors presidency is considered to have been the apex of the European Commission's influence on European integration.[citation needed]
Post-presidency
Delors had a longstanding interest in education. Initiator of a French law in 1971 (la formation professionnelle continue, FPC) requiring firms to set aside part of their profits for educational opportunities for their employees, he also chaired a UNESCO Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century from 1993 to 1996, whose final report was published as Learning: the Treasure Within.[10] This work continues to have a significant influence on discourse on lifelong learning, forming the conceptual foundation for both the Canadian Composite Learning Index as well as the European Lifelong Learning Indicators (ELLI) project.[citation needed]
In 1994, members of the Socialist Party attempted to persuade Delors to run for president. Polls showed that he would have a very good chance of defeating either of the main conservative contenders, Prime Minister Édouard Balladur and Mayor of Paris Jacques Chirac.[11] However Delors declined to run and the eventual Socialist nominee, Lionel Jospin, was defeated in the 1995 presidential election by Jacques Chirac.[citation needed]
In 1995, Delors won the Charles V Prize, awarded by the Fundación Academia Europea de Yuste.[citation needed]
Delors founded the Paris-based, centre-left think tank Notre Europe in 1996 and remained one of its presidents for the rest of his life. He was president of the Conseil de l'emploi, des revenus et de la cohésion sociale, and honorary member of both the Institut Aspen France and the Club of Rome.[citation needed]
On 15 September 2010, Delors supported the new initiative Spinelli Group, which was founded to reinvigorate the striving for federalisation of the European Union. Other prominent supporters include Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Guy Verhofstadt, Sylvie Goulard, Andrew Duff, and Elmar Brok.[12] In 2010, Delors was the first to be honoured with the Leonardo European Corporate Learning Award.[13]
In 1990, Delors received the Freedom Medal.[citation needed]
In 2012, Delors stated in the Handelsblatt newspaper that "If the British cannot support the trend towards more integration in Europe, we can nevertheless remain friends, but on a different basis. I could imagine a form such as a European economic area or a free-trade agreement."[citation needed]
On 25 June 2015, Donald Tusk announced that Delors would become the third person ever to have the title of Honorary Citizen of Europe bestowed upon them, in recognition of "his remarkable contribution to the development of the European project".[14]
Personal life and death
Delors was married to Marie Lephaille until she died in 2020.[15] They had a daughter, Martine Aubry, who served as First Secretary of the Socialist Party from 2008 to 2012,[3] and a son, Jean-Paul Delors, who was a journalist and died aged 29 in 1982 from leukemia.[1]
Delors died in his sleep at his home in Paris, on 27 December 2023, aged 98.[16]
Awards
- 1999: Member of the Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium.[17]
- 2005: Pax Christi International Peace Award[citation needed]
- Honorary Citizen of Europe[citation needed]
Honours
This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2023) |
- Austria: Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
- Estonia: First Class of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana
- France: Commander of the Legion of Honour (2005; previously appointed Officer in 1999)[18][19]
- Germany: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Germany: Medal of the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg
- Germany: Knight of the Bavarian Order of Merit
- Hungary: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary
- Peru: Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru
- Poland: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
- Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of Christ
- Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry
- Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
Selected works
- Delors, Jacques; Arnaud, Jean-Louis (2004), Mémoires, Plon, ISBN 978-2-259-19292-7
See also
References
- ^ a b Drake, Helen (11 September 2002). Jacques Delors: Perspectives on a European Leader. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-80399-6.
- ^ Gino Raymond, Historical Dictionary of France (2008) pp 199–101, 124–25.
- ^ a b c d e f European Commission – Discover the former Presidents, retrieved 21 September 2009
- ^ "Jacques Delors Facts". biography.yourdictionary.com. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ Ross, George; Jenson, Jane (2017). "Reconsidering Jacques Delors' leadership of the European Union". Journal of European Integration. 39 (2): 113–127. doi:10.1080/07036337.2016.1277718. ISSN 0703-6337. S2CID 151526296.
- ^ "Jacques Delors | French politician". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ Michael J. Baun, "The Maastricht Treaty as High Politics: Germany, France, and European Integration." Political Science Quarterly 110.4 (1995): 605–624. online
- ^ Warlouzet, Laurent (2017). Governing Europe in a Globalizing World. Neoliberalism and its Alternatives following the 1973 Oil Crisis. London: Routledge. ISBN 9781138729421.
- ^ Alessandra Bitumi, "'An uplifting tale of Europe'. Jacques Delors and the contradictory quest for a European social model in the Age of Reagan." Journal of Transatlantic Studies 16.3 (2018): 203–221 online[dead link].
- ^ "UNESCO Task Force on Education, Publications". Archived from the original on 15 June 2006. Retrieved 17 June 2006.
- ^ "Delors' Vow Not to Run Could Boost French Anti-Europe Forces", The Washington Post, 13 December 1994
- ^ "Spinelli group website, Members of the steering group". Archived from the original on 21 September 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ^ "Leonardo". leonardo-award.eu. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ^ "Invitation letter by President Donald Tusk to the members of the European Council – Consilium". Europa. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ^ "En souvenir de Madame MARIE DELORS". libramemoria.com (in French). Retrieved 28 December 2023.
- ^ "Former EU Commission president Jacques Delors dies at 98". 27 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- ^ Index biographique des membres et associés de l'Académie royale de Belgique (1769–2005). p83
- ^ "Décret du 25 mars 2005 portant promotion". Legifrance. 25 March 2005.
- ^ "Décret du 2 avril 1999 portant promotion et nomination". Legifrance. 2 April 1999.
Further reading
- Bitumi, Alessandra. "'An uplifting tale of Europe'. Jacques Delors and the contradictory quest for a European social model in the Age of Reagan." Journal of Transatlantic Studies 16.3 (2018): 203–221.
- Drake, Helen. Jacques Delors: perspectives on a European leader (Psychology Press, 2000).
- Drake, Helen. "Political leadership and European integration: the case of Jacques Delors." West European Politics 18.1 (1995): 140–160. Online
- Endo, Ken. The presidency of the European Commission under Jacques Delors: The politics of shared leadership (Springer, 1999).
- Ross, George, and Jane Jenson. "Reconsidering Jacques Delors' leadership of the European union." Journal of European Integration 39.2 (2017): 113–127.
- Van Assche, Tobias. "The impact of entrepreneurial leadership on EU high politics: A case study of Jacques Delors and the creation of EMU." Leadership 1.3 (2005): 279–298.
- Warlouzet, Laurent. Governing Europe in a Globalizing World. Neoliberalism and its Alternatives following the 1973 Oil Crisis (Routledge, 2017). Online
External links
- Delors addressing the British trade unions
- The infamous headline from The Sun in the UK: "Up Yours Delors"
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Works by or about Jacques Delors at the Internet Archive
- The electronic copies of Jacques Delors's private papers are consultable at the Historical Archives of the European Union in Florence
- 1925 births
- 2023 deaths
- French Christian socialists
- French Confederation of Christian Workers members
- French Democratic Confederation of Labour members
- French economists
- French European Commissioners
- French Roman Catholics
- MEPs for France 1979–1984
- Politicians from Paris
- Presidents of the European Commission
- Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class
- Socialist Party (France) politicians
- Unified Socialist Party (France) politicians
- French Ministers of Finance
- Catholic socialists
- Grand Crosses 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Recipients of the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Prince Henry
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the Sun of Peru
- Members of the Royal Academy of Belgium
- Recipients of the Four Freedoms Award
- European Commissioners 1985–1988
- Commanders of the Legion of Honour