10/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - At a meeting in Paris on 8 and 9 May, members of the European People's Party within the European Convention- including Michel Barnier, Jean-Luc Dehaene, Elmar Brok and Inigo Mendez de Vigo- adopted a declaration of their support for the ratification of the European Constitutional Treaty. “We urge all Europeans to rally behind the new Constitution to reaffirm their commitment to a peaceful, democratic and prosperous European future together”, the declaration reads. The President of the EPP, former Belgian Prime Minister Wilfried Martens, said that he is “convinced that the French will take position in favour of this Constitution”, adding: “a big country like France- which has inspired European integration since Europe's first faltering footsteps- needs a strong Europe, as do all our countries, which is able to defend our model of society in the world. I want a strong France in Europe and not a France in the background”.