Former EU Commission president Jacques Delors dies at age 98

Jacques Delors, a prominent figure in establishing the euro currency and former head of the EU Commission, passed away, as confirmed by his daughter Martine Aubry in a statement to AFP on Wednesday.

At the age of 98, Delors died peacefully in his sleep at his residence in Paris, according to Aubry.

A former French socialist finance minister and Member of the European Parliament, Delors assumed the role of President of the European Commission in January 1985. 

Over his decade-long tenure, he laid the foundation for a unified market within the European Community. 

Additionally, he chaired the Committee for the Study of Economic and Monetary Union, commonly known as the Delors Committee. 

This committee proposed the concept of a monetary union in early 1989, advocating for the creation of the euro to replace individual national currencies.

In 1990, during Delors' presidency of the Commission, Malta sought membership in the European Union. 

In a 1992 interview with Liberation, Delors referred to Malta as “a symbol”.

"Let us not forget that in 2000, we shall be more than 12 (EU members), maybe a little more than 20. There is a country one forgets but is very important as a symbol, Malta. We must not shift Europe too much to the north while neglecting the south, as we could risk losing our sensitivity to the Mediterranean world, which is our world but presently poses dangers for the future of all of us,” he had remarked.