Brussels, 25/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Dutch Government has appointed former Foreign Minister Hans van Mierlo, and Blair has chosen his minister of State for European Affairs, Peter Hain, as representatives within the Convention on the Future of Europe. They will thus sit alongside French Minister Pierre Moscovici within the college of governmental representatives which will also comprise: the former Commissioner for monetary affairs, Henning Christophersen, for Denmark; - the diplomat Joao de Vallera, for Portugal; - Italian Deputy Prime Minister Gianfranco Fini; - the academic Teija Tiilikainen, for Finland. Chancellor Schroeder has also officially appointed the Social-Democrat academic Peter Glotz.
Three delegations continue to be uneasy about the appointment of Fini, including the German one, who would like to stick to the verbal agreement that, at the European Council of Laeken, provided for the two vice-presidents of the Convention, Mr. Amato for Italy and Mr. Dehaene for Belgium, representing their governments. However, as pointed out by a senior official, it will be all the more difficult to oppose this decision in that Mr. Amato does not want to represent Mr. Berlusconi and that the role of Vice-President does not fit in well with the defence of a national position. The General Affairs Council should raise the issue Monday, but it is highly likely that Belgium will follow Italy's example should Mr. Fini's appointment be confirmed. Among the names circulating around Belgium, we find those of Minister Annemie Neyts and that of the Flemish Liberal Karel De Gucht. In Austria, the name most often mentioned is Heinrich Neisser, OVP Vice-President of the Nationalrat. In Spain, Ana Palacio MEP, seems to be on the cards.
Furthermore, the Luxembourg parliament will be represented by Christian-democrat Paul Helminger (chair of the foreign affairs committee) and Socialist Ben Fayot (former MEP). The Austrian Parliament has appointed the Socialist, Kaspar Einem and FPO member Reinhard Boesch. For the Dutch Parliament, it will be the Liberal Wim van Eekelen (former Secretary General of the WEU) and Socialist Frans
Timmermans. The Spanish Parliament wants to designate Socialist, Josep Borell and the MP for the Partido Popular, Gabriel Cisnerso.
The delegation of the European Parliament, composed of 16 members (see EUROPE 18 January page 5) will hold its constitutive meeting on Tuesday in Brussels. EUROPE would like to point out that two representatives from the EP in the convention Presidium, Inigo Mendez de vigo (EPP, Spain) and Klaus Hänsch (PES, Germany) are also members of this delegation