European Union leaders chose veteran former French President Mr Valery Giscard d'Estaing today to head a political Convention on the future of the 15-nation bloc.
The 75-year-old centre-right statesman will preside over an assembly of national and European parliamentarians and government representatives due to propose changes to the EU's founding treaties, possibly including a constitution.
Under a package deal proposed by the Belgian EU presidency, former Italian Prime Minister Mr Giuliano Amato, the only other declared candidate, and former Belgian Prime Minister Mr Jean-Luc Dehaene will be joint vice-presidents of the Convention.
Mr Giscard d'Estaing, one of the founding fathers of the European Monetary System, was French president from 1974 until he was voted out of office in 1981. He declared his own candidacy and won the backing of French President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Mr Lionel Jospin.
Critics have said the intellectually brilliant elder statesman is too old and patrician to embody the aspirations of 21st century Europe.