Word: giscards
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...hasn't worked, and I don't see why it should now." Further complications will arise next week, as representatives from all 25 member states begin formal discussions on the new constitution. It took 16 months of negotiating and the patriarchal hand of former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing to arrive at the current draft's delicate power balance between the member states and the Brussels institutions. Many smaller countries are deeply unhappy about the draft's limit on the number of full-fledged Commissioners, which would leave some countries without a vote in the main executive...
...final polish on his draft European Union constitution last week, former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing suggested a new motto for Europe: united in diversity. Some day, maybe. But not this summer. divided in anger would be more like it, or perhaps take your beach and shove it. Just when the E.U. is trying to forge a coherent identity, national pride is threatening to swamp the whole enterprise as the leaders of two of the Union's biggest members jump headlong into the summer silly season. It was bad enough when Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi compared...
...debate about such lofty issues as God's place in a new constitution and Europe's role in outer space, the European Convention returned to earth last week with a thud. The grandly named Convention on the Future of Europe, led by former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, has been meeting since February 2002 to thrash out a new architecture for an enlarged European Union of 25 states. With just under two months to go before the body presents its draft constitution, Giscard infuriated delegates by unilaterally unveiling proposals for a radical overhaul of E.U. institutions - plans...
...Giscard's Plan Is This A New Improved E.U.? Valéry Giscard d'Estaing wants to dramatically reshape the way the E.U. works. Here are some of his most controversial proposals: Create an E.U. President The President would be elected by a "qualified majority" of the European Council, which is made up of E.U. heads of government, to serve a 21/2-year term, renewable once. Presidential candidates must be, or have been for at least two years, an E.U. head of government Create an E.U. Foreign Minister This new post would be filled through qualified majority voting by the European...
...countries due to join in the spring of 2004, thought this eliminated one of their prime sources of influence and prestige. These countries want to retain the rotating presidency and strengthen the European Commission to serve as a bulwark against the power of the big boys. But Giscard was having none of that, either. His plans would reduce the Commission's importance by putting what many hope will be the E.U.'s most significant activity - foreign and security policy - firmly in the ambit of the European Council. Many fear that the Commission, which considers itself the protector of E.U. treaties...