The Diplomat
Spain and Portugal will today observe an official mourning day in memory of the recently deceased Jacques Delors, who was the president of the European Commission when the two Iberian countries joined the European Communities.
In a joint statement, the Governments of Spain and Portugal announced yesterday that they had decided to declare an official day of mourning on January 31, coinciding with the tribute event for Delors that will be organized that same day by the European Commission in Brussels, and which will be attended by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez.
“Jacques Delors, president of the Commission between 1985 and 1994, was one of the great architects of European integration, and played an essential role in the accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Union, which took place in 1986,” stated the two governments.
“Both countries have agreed on the importance of paying tribute to his figure as a sign of gratitude and in recognition of the profound transformation that membership in the European Union has brought about for entire generations of Spaniards and Portuguese,” the note concludes. Delors was president of the Commission precisely when Spain and Portugal entered the European Communities, on January 1, 1986.
