The plenary session of the European Parliament pays tribute to Gil-Robles with a minute of silence

BRUSELAS, 14 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The plenary session of the European Parliament paid tribute this Tuesday with a minute of silence to its president at the end of the 1990s, José María Gil-Robles, who died on Monday at the age of 88.

"This House mourns him and pays tribute to his legacy," said the president of the European Parliament, the Maltese conservative Roberta Metsola, after evoking Gil-Robles' parliamentary career and asking the MEPs to join a minute of silence before of the voting session.

"He will be remembered for having ensured that Parliament was directly involved in the Amsterdam Treaty negotiations, including the inclusion of the legal basis for the adoption of the Members' Statute, thanks to which Parliament became more independent," Metsola said. .

"It was during your presidency that Parliament contributed to decisions regarding the entry into force of the euro and the start of accession negotiations for ten new member states. You also led this House through the difficult months leading up to the resignation of the European Commission, a crisis from which our institution emerged strengthened", he added.

Gil-Robles (Madrid, 1935) was an MEP of the European People's Party for three consecutive legislatures, from 1989 to 2004, a career that included the presidency of the institution between 1997 and 1999.

As the European Parliament recalls in a statement, at the head of the institution he participated in historical moments in Europe, such as the negotiations of the Treaty of Amsterdam, the approval of the implementation of the euro and the election of the first president of the European Central Bank.

In addition, he presided over the process that led to the resignation of the Commission led by Jacques Santer, as well as the launch of the EU anti-fraud office (OLAF) or the EU's efforts to prevent genocide in Kosovo.

Professor of Law, after passing through the EP, he held the honorary presidency of the International European Movement. Between 2008 and 2015 he chaired the Jean Monnet Foundation.