January 2003, Member States raise the stakes in the Convention

The Slovenian foreign Minister, Dimitrij Rupel, will join the Convention on the Future of Europe. He will replace the current government representative for Slovenia, Matjaz Nahtigal. He is the latest in a series of Foreign Ministers who have been nominated as Convention Members to ensure that national interests are being upheld. France and Germany have appointed their foreign ministers to the Convention, Dominique de Villepin and Joschka Fischer, respectively. The Greek Foreign Minister, Mr Giorgios Papandreou, is also due to join the Convention in February 2003. He will be a member of the Convention’s influential steering committee, the Praesidium, where he will replace the current Greek representative, Mr Giorgios Katiforis. This decision illustrates the importance which governments are attributing to the Convention process. However, Giscard d’Estaing has expressed his fear that a draft European Constitution will be undermined by Member States. The Convention Chairman has in the past welcomed the moves as a positive sign that the Convention is being taken seriously. However, following the most recent decision, he has changed his position. This could be a response to the news of a bilateral Franco-German deal on a future EU president.

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