1.What are your expectations for the Convention on the Future of
Europe?
I expect the Convention to elaborate the Constitution for the great political Europe. It is time to stop the system of treaties and the unanimity decisional process to propose a real Constitution which will be enforced to the peoples who ratified it.

2.What role do you see in the Convention for the representatives of the
European Parliament?
The Members of the European Parliament have a large experience of the current EU system. And they are used to work with colleagues that have been elected in the other countries. This knowledge of the concrete European practice is a very strong advantage in the Convention.

3. What prospects do you see for the Convention to produce a Constitution for the EU?
I am optimistic. I noticed that the principle of a constitution, and the word itself, are not rejected any more, by any government : even Tony Blair joined. The big debate should be on the giving up of the unanimity rule : if we force ourselves to satisfy the 28 represented countries we will not move forward. On the other hand, the first one to say we must accept to leave the reluctant countries a bit behind will be accused of sacrilege. It is nevertheless the condition of success.

4. How do you see the public debate in France on the work of the Convention?
The public debate remains to be invented. The one organised by the French Government after Nice was particularly disappointing : 99.99% of the French have not even been aware of its existence. How can we break the outrageous indifference of the media encouraged by the jealousy of the national elected members? This is the major challenge of the Convention.

5. Do you think the Convention will be an issue during the elections?
Unfortunately, no. The big candidates have enough “know-how” to confuse the issue and put some words in order to reassure the pro-Europeans without worrying the eurosceptics. Only one man is clearly campaigning in favour of a federal Europe : François BAYROU, the UDF candidate. His European convictions are close to a majority of French people ideas, but I regret the presidential elections are almost only concentrated on national political issues.

6. What would you consider as a success for this Convention, what would be a disappointment?
The success would be an agreement for a Constitution that would be enforced to the States that ratified it and which would at last give the Union proper leaders, elected to govern Europe and Europe only. The disappointment would be a new treaty, submitted to unanimous approval, according to which the EU would remain governed by national governments through the Council.