The Fundació Catalunya Europa regrets the death of Jacques Delors, who was Minister of Economy in the first socialist government led by François Mitterrand in 1981 and from 1985 to 1994 took up the post of President of the European Commission, leading the process of European construction with goals such as the creation of the single European market, the signing of the Schengen agreements, the Single European Act, the launch of the Erasmus student exchange programme, reform of the common agricultural policy and the implementation of economic and monetary union, among others.

Pasqual Maragall’s relationship with Jacques Delors began when he was a student in Paris, in 1966 and throughout the professional and political career of both, there have been numerous occasions in which they have coincided in their respective responsibilities, always in the defence of European institutions closer to citizens, cities and regions, and of a more useful and stronger European Union.

Pasqual Maragall thus greeted him on 18 April 1991, as mayor of the city, at the dinner the Generalitat was offering him as President of the Commission of the European Communities.

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"I would like to greet the man who was able to support the idea of Europe until today, when the train of history shows that enthusiasm has replaced the initial coldness, after the difficult joy of the foundation, of R. Schumann and Paul H Spaak.
I want to greet a teacher from Mantignag Street, when I was in the Planning Commissariat, and I was a young graduate who explored Europe in the streets and classes of Paris.
I would like to greet the President of the Europe of Cities, who is also the President of cities, regions and states, but who could be the Europe of neighbourhoods and citizens if he wanted to enter people’s heads and hearts".

The admiration and recognition expressed by these words of Pasqual Margall are mutual and is evident, among others, that Delors incorporated Maragall into the European Committee of Notre Europe, now known as the Jacques Delors Institute, as a collaborator for reflection and pro-European proposal.

You can find more information about the words and meetings of both leaders in the Pasqual Maragall digital archive.