When appointed President of the European Commission, Mr Romano Prodi was hailed as the man who would reform the institution and restore its reputation among Europe's citizens. His predecessor, Mr Jacques Santer, had resigned with his entire team of commissioners following allegations of corruption and nepotism.
Eighteen months later, Mr Prodi has many critics who say he is the weak leader of a disappointing team which has failed to get to grips with the challenge he faces. As he leans back in a gilt armchair in his 12thfloor office, however, the Commission President claims he is heading to the Nice summit in a stronger position than anyone could have predicted.
"If you look at how our situation was when we came here and how it is now, I think that something has been done. We are going to Nice as a strong Commission . . . I am not the king of Europe. I am simply telling you that the image and the role of the Commission is increasing," he said.
The gilt furniture and two vast 17thcentury paintings of plump cherubs lend an incongruous touch of luxury to Mr Prodi's sparsely furnished office in the Commission's drab headquarters. A former professor of economics, the 61-yearold Italian has much more the manner of a brilliant academic than of a politician.
Doodling on a large notepad as he speaks, his conversation moves easily from an analysis of Europe's relationship with the US to the role of Italy in the Renaissance. But as a former centre-left prime minister of his country Mr Prodi is more than familiar with the hard facts of political life.
In Italy Mr Prodi shepherded a group of left-wing forces towards the political centre and became, with Britain's Mr Tony Blair and President Clinton, a standard bearer of the Third Way. His task now is to create a bond between the Commission and Europe's citizens and to halt a growing trend towards inter-governmentalism among EU member-states.
"It was not easy to run Italy, I can tell you. But this is different. I like this strong, interesting challenge," he said.