During the negotiation process, over months or years, all 27 member statesget to know other countries’ positions. This process creates understanding and sometimes even respect. As former Spanish foreign minister Arancha González Laya said recently, 'sharing your nightmares is the way to build consensus' (Photo: Author)

Opinion

Homage to Delors: a positive attitude in Brussels is a European value

EU Political

Opinion

by Caroline de Gruyter, Brussels,

Towards the end of his life Jacques Delors, the former EU Commission president who died last December, increasingly worried about the national egotism of EU member states.

He found national leaders pettier and short-termist than ever, disregarding the common European interest, for instance when it came to assisting Ukraine.

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EU Political Opinion Opinion Column

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s, not those of EUobserver

Author Bio

Caroline de Gruyter is a Europe correspondent and columnist for the Dutch newspaper NRC. She is also a columnist for Foreign Policy and De Standaard. This piece is adapted from a column in De Standaard.