2024-01-05 15:36:35
The French President highlighted Jacques Delors’ achievements in overcoming European divisions in his funeral speech in Paris on Friday. Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to “a life of courageous pioneering, visionary intuitions, hard work and conviviality”. In the presence of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Macron recalled how resolutely the then EU Commission President was in favor of the reunification of Germany.
Delors’ constant goal was a Europe united in its diversity, “which East Germany absorbed immediately after the fall of the Wall.” Numerous European heads of state and government as well as EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola, EU Council President Charles Michel and the President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, attended the homage in the Invalids’ Courtyard in Paris. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán also paid his last respects to Delors in Paris.
The heads of state and government stood in a semicircle around the coffin covered with the French flag as the European anthem played. As is the iron ceremonial of the national funeral ceremonies in the Invalids, Delors was honored with military honors. Unlike what is usually the case at the foot of the Invalides, a European flag was visible. In his speech, Macron bowed to the European pioneer, “whose compass was the Christian faith”.
“For him, a sense of duty took precedence over hunger for power,” said Macron. Until the end of his life, he was influenced by “the serious words of his father,” who had returned from the First World War badly injured. “You have to reconcile,” he told him. The idea of reconciliation was Delors’ most important motto. Macron emphasized the social commitment of the statesman, who died on December 27th at the age of 98. “Jacques Delors’ struggle was, first of all, to reconcile a blocked society with itself,” Macron said. Delors contributed a lot to social peace in the CFTC and later in the CFDT unions. Delor’s daughter Martine Aubry, the mayor of Lille and former labor minister, was involved in the preparation of the speech.
“Long live Europe,” shouts Macron
Delors did not dream of revolution, but believed in “day-long negotiations, in social dialogue across all political borders”. Delors “fought like a lion” to keep France on the European path in 1983. Even back then, the Eurosceptics were keen to free themselves from the “European shackles”. Delors prevailed. “This was undoubtedly one of his greatest works of reconciliation,” Macron said. At that time he reconciled the French with the social market economy.
Michaela Wiegel, Paris Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 9 Ralph Bollmann, Berlin Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 8 Gerald Braunberger Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 15
As President of the EU Commission, Delors “drew the face of today’s Europe line by line”. His legacy is the free movement of people, goods and capital. He leaves behind a Europe of social dialogue and economic and monetary union. It is up to all Europeans to continue this work. “Long live Europe!” Macron concluded his speech in an unusual way.
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