The Value of Institutions: Mandate and Self-Mandate in the Convention Process

The Convention on the Future of Europe introduced a new body in the process of treaty reforms that have so far been monopolized by national governments through intergovernmental conferences. In line with the new institutionalism, this paper argues that institutions have an impact on the final outcomes. Although the Convention created the setting for a comprehensive design of an EU Constitution, this does not imply that it imposed an outcome against the preferences of still-major players in constitutional politics, namely national governments.