Czech ruling is pivotal for EU reforms

[pampango]

Source: Reuters UK

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The Czech constitutional court's ruling on Tuesday against a legal challenge to the European Union's Lisbon reform treaty cleared one of the final hurdles to the charter's ratification.

The ruling increases pressure on President Vaclav Klaus to sign the treaty even though he says it would take away Czech sovereignty. The Czech parliament has already approved the document and Klaus has signalled he will sign it soon. This would complete EU ratification of the treaty because it has already been ratified by the other 26 member states. Depending on when Klaus signs, the treaty could come into force in December or January.

Although Klaus has acknowledged he will have to sign the treaty, he will feel he has saved face by securing a deal with other EU member states that gives the Czech Republic an opt-out from a human rights charter attached to the treaty. EU leaders agreed last week to this opt-out, which Klaus said was necessary to shield the Czech Republic from property claims by ethnic Germans expelled after World War Two.

The ruling reduces the likelihood of Britain's Conservatives holding a referendum on the treaty if they win power in a parliamentary election next year. Conservative leader David Cameron has said he will hold a referendum if not all other countries have ratified the treaty by the time of the British election, but acknowledges that Klaus is now unlikely to hold out till next year.

Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKLNE5A200N20091103

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Sounds like an even stronger European Union will come into being with its own president and foreign minister. Klaus, like many conservative politicians in Europe such as Britain's Cameron, has fought against increasing European integration and the preservation of national sovereignty. He is "co-founder of the Civic Democratic Party, the major Czech right-wing party."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaclav_Klaus

It would seem that progressives have won the day, again, in Europe with the Czech Republic on the verge of making stronger European unification official.

[steaa]

1. Klaus and Cameron are quite isolated

in regards to their opposition to the Lisbon treaty among mainstream conservatives in Europe. Klaus for example stands almost alone in his party in opposition to the Lisbon treaty.

The majority of mainstream conservative parties in Europe support the Lisbon treaty. Cameron recently took the Tory party out of the mainstream centre-right EU party, EPP. This grouping had the normal conservative parties like Merkels CDU. He thus took them into a new European alliance with far right bigots, homophobes and anti-semites.

Guardian article on Camerons European friends - http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jun/10/europe-far-right-cameron
Hague under pressure from US to condemn Conservatives EU allies - http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/20/tories-eu-allies-us-pressure

[DissedByBush]

2. In two hundred years their nations will be powerless,

Existing mostly in name.

That's what happened to our little federation of states.

Is it a positive trend to move to a more centralized government, one further distanced from the people?

Sad. I loved the Czech Republic. Beautiful place.

[Flagg]

4. Yeah because Prague will be leveled to the ground as soon as

the Lisbon treaty comes into effect of course.

[DissedByBush]

5. I don't think you understood me

In two hundred years the Czech government will be practically meaningless, with most power moved to the EU. That's what happened here.

[pampango]

3. It's good to know that it's the "far right bigots, homophobes and anti-semites", joined by Cameron,

who oppose the strengthening of the EU. It also good to know that mainstream conservatives have joined with progressives in supporting the EU while the far right has lapsed into its customary nationalism and bigotry.