Give Convention job to Delors or Barre, says Giscard d’Estaing

Date: 18/10/01

By David Cronin

FORMER French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing has confirmed that he has had talks with MEPs about chairing the body due to prepare the next round of revisions to the EU's treaties.

But in an interview with Paris daily Le Monde, he played down speculation that he would land the prestigious job. Instead he argued that it should go to one of his compatriots, naming ex-European Commission chief Jacques Delors and ex-premier Raymond Barre as ideal candidates to preside over the Convention, expected to be established following December's Laeken summit.

Giscard d'Estaing also contended that the Council of Ministers should eventually replace the Commission as the EU's executive. The Commission should not be allowed turn into a future European government, without major changes to how it operates, he added.