Paris, 17/01/2003 (Agence Europe) - More than 1000 political science students and 20 European universities met on 15 - 18 January at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris for the first sitting of the European Student Convention, which at the end of the event, is expected to adopt a "draft for the Future of Europe". The second sitting is planned to take place in Rome next summer.
In answer to a question at the opening of the convention, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing stated in a Political Science communiqué that a President of the European Council elected by his peers would create "an identifiable face for Europe", which "would be an improvement". He also took note of the impracticalities of the rotating presidencies. According to Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, the coexistence of such a President elected with the President of the Commission would not pose any problems, as the first would exercise a general organising role and the second, a function outlining the common interest and its implementation. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing explained in the same communiqué that there would "be no reason for them to have any disputes ". He also underlined that the President of the Convention had also come out against a "politicisation of the Commission" (see p.3).
As well as listening to President of the European Convention, students heard French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, the French and Spanish ministers of Foreign Affairs Dominique de Villepin and Ana Palacio¸ the Polish Minister for European Affairs Danuta Hübner, the Hungarian Secretary of State for European Affairs Peter Balasz and European Commissioner Michel Barnier.