The Facts
Jacques Delors, former European Commission (EC) president considered a founding father of the modern European Union (EU), passed away on Wednesday at age 98, according to a statement released by his family.
After serving as a finance minister under French Pres. Francois Mitterrand from 1981 to 1984, he served for ten years as head of the EU's European Commission from 1985 to 1995, making major strides to further European integration.
The Spin
Narrative A
From the free movement of goods, people, and a common currency, Jacques Delors forged a new Europe based on the principles of cooperation, democracy, and liberty. His life's work has made Europe a more secure, prosperous place, and serves as an example of what a united Europe is capable of accomplishing. In the aftermath of Brexit, the migrant crisis, and the War in Ukraine, European leaders could learn much from Delors's singular vision and exemplary leadership.
Narrative B
Delors was the architect of a doomed European project, and much of what ails the Union can be traced back to policies that he championed. Delors promoted a sprawling, centralized, federal EU that has seemingly failed to rise to any of the most pressing challenges facing the continent. Sadly, he lived to see his life's work tarnished by ineffective governance and a rise in nationalism across Europe, as what little enthusiasm for European integration remains slowly fizzles out.