Brussels, 15/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - Ahead of the inauguration of the Convention (scheduled for 28 February), Chairman Valéry Giscard d'Estaing was in confident mood in an interview with the French paper Le Monde, in which he said that the desire to make progress predominates in the EU and the Convention launched by the Laeken Summit goes further than initially predicted. What had come as a complete surprise, he said, was the explicit reference to a Constitution in the Laeken Declaration, adding that the leaders of various countries were convinced that progress has to be made - this was particularly strongly for the Germans and also, as is traditional, by the Italians. He noted that Benelux countries wanted to see progress; Spain was being prudent but wants realistic progress in the European project; and the United Kingdom was prepared to take a positive view. Mr Giscard d'Estaing felt that the Convention was an institution in its own right which would be linked with the three bodies in the European institutional triangle - the Council appointed it, it would work with Parliament, the only democratic body at European level, and also with the Commission given its important mission of launching initiatives and proposals. He categorically rejected any idea of a two-speed Europe, saying that from the start of the European project, it had been essential to keep ones wits about one and not get caught up in rigid formulae because things change, and a two-speed Europe was not realistic. In a collective system, you can't say some are good and others are not so good since such an approach (of the 'hard core') is not the best way of doing things. He said the system he himself would have preferred would be one that allowed monetary union in Europe - the agreement would be made with all sides but there would not have been compulsion to apply it. Talking about strengthened co-operation, he said that it had never been used because the disadvantage of such an approach was the risk of signing a series of agreements that make Europe totally illegible but one of the demands made of Europe is for it to have greater visibility.
Chairman Giscard d'Estaing has already met with Romano Prodi, Silvio Berlusconi and José Maria Aznar, and will again be having lunch with the two Convention Vice-Chairmen, Giulio Amato and Jean-Luc Dehaene, on 17 January (they also met before Christmas, Ed). After a trip to Brussels to discuss how the Convention's Secretariat is to be organised, Mr Giscard d'Estaing will be meeting Joschka Fischer and Gerhard Schröder in Berlin on 24 January before meeting Tony Blair in London on 4 February.
The French Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin, had wanted Jacques Delors to represent France on the Convention, but he had refused, so the European Affairs Minister, Pierre Moscovici, has now been designated to represent the French government.