EUROPEAN CONVENTION: ROMANO PRODI TAKES UP GISCARD D'ESTAING'S CHALLENGE.

• Position: Brief Article

Just ahead of the much anticipated plenary session of the European Convention on May 15-16 which will focus on institutional reform, Romano Prodi has decided to go on the offensive. On May 13, in an attempt to find allies in the European Parliament for his position, he attended a meeting of the Conference of Presidents of the political groups and, on the same day, accepted the challenge laid down by Convention President Val?ry Giscard d'Estaing to have a public debate on their differing views on creating a full-time President of the European Council, the most controversial of Mr Giscard d'Estaing's proposals. In this context, it is important to note that the Portuguese government, which believes that the opposing views on...