“A great servant of Europe”, “a giant”, “an activist and a man of action”… Jacques Delors left his mark on Europe and French politics. The reactions of politicians follow one another to pay tribute to the former president of the European Commission after the announcement of his death, Wednesday December 27, at the age of 98. The President of the Republic welcomed a “inexhaustible craftsman of our Europe”. Emmanuel Macron underlines “his commitment, his ideals and his righteousness will always inspire us. I salute his work and his memory and share the pain of his loved ones”.
“An immense political heritage” for the socialists
“The disappearance of Jacques Delors will create strong emotion throughout Europe as he will have contributed to shaping itreacts former socialist president François Hollande on X. It will bring back to life here an era during which a generation tirelessly upheld an ideal and ensured that it was translated into action and progress. She leaves all those who accompanied her, in a way orphans.”
“Jacques Delors was not a politician like the others. He claimed to be an intellectual who thought about what life in a harmonious society could be. He was looking for a path to social democracy, he was not chasing He only sought positions and mandates if he was sure of being able to find the strengths and alliances that would enable him to succeed.”
Francois Hollandecommunicated
Former socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin pays tribute to the man who was “the trade unionist, the pioneer of economic and social issues, the advisor to Jacques Chaban-Delmas, the activist who joined, at the same time as Michel Rocard, the Socialist Party that François Mitterrand was renovating, the realist Minister of Economy and Finance , the passionate European who remarkably chaired the European Commission, left his mark on his era“.
The first secretary of the Socialist Party estimates on franceinfo that Jacques Delors “leaves an immense political legacy”. For Olivier Faure, the former president of the European Commission “was one of those who both allowed the left to gain power, and who allowed it to find its balance in power. Contemporary Europe owes him a lot”. “France and Europe have just lost a great servant”, regrets the former Minister of Agriculture Stéphane Le Foll, on X (formerly Twitter). Jacques Delors “will always be a landmark”for Jean-Christophe Cambadélis, first secretary of the Socialist Party from 2014 to 2017.
“The death of Jacques Delors is that of a great European, a respected and listened to figure in the world, who acted for the public good and brought honor to France”estimates Laurent Fabius, president of the Constitutional Council. “Jacques Delors served France and Europe by placing three principles at their highest level: truth, democracy, compromise” reacts in turn the former Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, while the PS candidate for the 2007 presidential election Ségolène Royal thanks the former mayor of Clichy for his “noble vision of politics, guided by the morality of action”.
“He will forever remain the man of Europe”greets Jack Lang on Wednesday on franceinfo. “We called him the boss of Europe. It was he who gave Europe a face, gave it its appearance”, adds Jack Lang. The leader of La France insoumise Jean-Luc Mélenchon greeted Wednesday “the activist and man of action who acted with the common good in mind”. “Jacques Delors was a socialist of the generation which had an ideal. However far away we may have been, I salute the activist and the man of action who acted with the common good in mind”wrote on X Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
He “embodied and shaped Europe”, underline members of the majority
“He is one of the fathers of contemporary Europe who is disappearing today. Respect for his work and the humanist values that he always upheld”greets the former President of the National Assembly Richard Ferrand on the social network “Incarnation of Europe, Jacques Delors’ life was in the service of the French and all citizens of the EU. A great statesman passed away this evening”for her part reacted Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of the National Assembly.
The current Minister of Labor, Full Employment and Integration Olivier Dussopt welcomes a “statesman driven by his social democratic values”. “Jacques Delors will remain a significant figure in political life”he adds.
Jacques Delors “embodied and shaped Europe”, estimates the Minister of Transport and former Secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune on franceinfo. Jacques Delors was also “a great French leader, he reformed France alongside François Mitterrand”And “he was a man of the left, a committed activist, a man of social justice”continued Clément Beaune.
The president of MoDem François Bayrou pays tribute to Jacques Delors who “was an unparalleled reference. His vision of the world and the quality of his commitments, centered around a certain idea of Europe and a society of dialogue and trust, of an economy which “did not forget the social, gave it a unique place and authority”.
“A visionary who made our Europe stronger”, greet European leaders
“Jacques Delors was a visionary who made our Europe stronger, underlines Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. His life’s work is a united, dynamic and prosperous European Union. It has shaped entire generations of Europeans, including mine. Let us honor his legacy by constantly renewing our Europe.” The President of the European Council Charles Michel estimates on X that Jacques Delors “led the transformation of the European Economic Community towards a true Union, based on humanist values and supported by a single market and a single currency, the euro. He was a defender, both passionate and concrete, until his last days.
“A great Frenchman and a great European, he went down in history as one of the builders of our Europe.”
Charles Michel, President of the European Councilon
The head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell estimates on “Europe has just lost one of its giants. He will have shaped the destiny of the EU through the power of his convictions and the rigor of his action. He thus enters the Pantheon of the greats that Europe has produced and whose legacy we must assume.”
“Thank you Mr. President!”tweets for his part the former minister and European commissioner Michel Barnier, for whom Jacques Delors was “a source of inspiration and a reason to believe in a ‘certain idea’ of politics, of France and of Europe” And “a humanist at the service of cooperation and solidarity between Europeans”.