Fondation Robert Schuman : Tribute to Valéry Giscard d'Estaing - a great European

09 December 2020

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing was a great president and a great European, to whom the Robert Schuman Foundation was close, and with whom it often had the privilege to work. He honoured us with shared convictions. Europe owes him a lot.

President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing is now gone. This great European has left a lasting legacy to the Union, its institutions and its citizens.

Founder of the European Council, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing always sought to make the Union more effective. He was also at the origin of the election of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage from 1979 onwards and was one of the architects of the European Monetary System, the first step towards the creation of the euro. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, working alongside Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, was also deeply involved in the Franco-German relationship which he cherished. In 2001, he was chosen by the Union's heads of State and government to chair the Convention on the Future of Europe and to draft the European Constitution.

Today, the Valéry Giscard d'Estaing Prize, awarded by the VGE Foundation in partnership with the Robert Schuman Foundation, distinguishes work by students in the field of European issues.

Since its creation, the Foundation has had the privilege of working closely with Valéry Giscard d'Estaing on many occasions, honouring us with shared beliefs. Today we hail his memory.

Robert Schuman Fondation

© Fondation Robert Schuman