Bruxelles, 5th April, 2003

What is your impression of the Convention so far?

It is very positive. I believe that having an open, public, and widely broadcasted debate with national parliamentarians, European parliamentarians, representatives of governments, is in itself a very democratic experiment. As far as the composition and the atmosphere of the Convention are concerned, it seems to me slightly conservative, slightly male-dominated and slightly old, but that’s the way it is. I would have preferred a composition that would have brought it closer to the European society than to the European establishment.

What are your five main priorities for the result of the Convention?

I first would like to see the promotion of a “Europe of values” that would uphold a project of development based on social fairness, on respect for the environment, on values of equality, on the separation between religious beliefs and political choices.

I also would like it to be a Europe open to the world, not a Fortress Europe. A Europe that would define citizenship for European nationals, but also for those millions of immigrants who live today in Europe and do not enjoy the benefits of free movement.

I would also like us to be able to define a European foreign policy and, eventually, a European defence policy.

Finally, Europe remains very much influenced by its market orientation – free-trade area, single currency, single market, etc. Europe, however, is also social Europe, a Europe of solidarity, and an environmentally friendly Europe. I therefore think that the Convention will have to reaffirm these values and give to the EU the means to do it.

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