Jacques Delors, Honorary Citizen of Europe, the Coryphaeus of the European project and a member of the Honorary Council of the European Movement International passed away on 27 December 2023, leaving behind a legacy that has established him as one of the pre-eminent Europeans.

His journey was one of unwavering commitment to the idea of a united and prosperous Europe. Assuming the leadership of the European Commission in January 1985, Jacques Delors managed to turn the tide for the seemingly sinking-in-Eurosclerosis ship of European integration and to usher the project into a fundamentally new stage of development.

The architect and champion of the Single European Act (SEA), he laid the foundation for the European Union (EU) build on the freedoms we enjoy today. His legacy is cemented in the very bedrock of the EU, which are the endless opportunities for cooperation and exchange provided by the Schengen area and Erasmus, along with the very transition from Communities into a Union, marked by the signature of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992.

It is also Delors’ vision, determination, and political prowess that turned into a reality an ambitious venture of the Monetary Union, bridging national disparities with one currency and proving doable what seemed impossible a mere decade prior.

Delors was not only an architect of economic integration but also the champion of a Social Europe. His advocacy for workers’ rights and social cohesion reflected a deep-seated belief that economic progress must go hand in hand with social inclusion. Thanks to Delors’ extraordinary ability to look beyond the present and appreciate the complexity of reconciling the multilayered interests involved in the building of the integrated EU, the Committee of the Regions was created to serve as a mediator between the local and the institutional.

As we bid farewell to Jacques Delors, let us remember him not with sorrow, but with gratitude and a newfound sense of determination to carry on the pursuit of a better, more united, and prosperous Europe of values and cooperation. The momentous decision to do away with unanimity voting in the matters of economic integration allowed Delors’ Commission to complete the fully-fledged Single Market. So, may the legacy of this remarkable European inspire us to take bold actions to secure a stable and prosperous future for the European project.

Guy Verhofstadt MEP, President of the European Movement International
Petros Fassoulas, Secretary General of the European Movement International