MAIL ONLINE: The Czech Republic will ratify the Lisbon Treaty before the New Year, the country's prime minister promised today.
In a move that could derail Conservative Party plans to hold a referendum on the EU agreement if they win power at the general election next spring, Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer said the country will not derail the long-awaited reform treaty.
The Czech Constitutional Court is studying a complaint against the treaty and the Eurosceptic Czech President, Vaclav Klaus, has not yet signed it.
Lisbon cannot take effect unless all 27 EU countries ratify it. All but the Czech Republic and Poland have done so.
Mr Fischer was speaking after talks in Brussels in the wake of the Irish 'Yes' vote last weekend.
One man holds the key - eurosceptic Czech president Vaclav Klaus, whose signature is required to complete full ratification of the treaty.
He says he is waiting for the outcome of a treaty challenge lodged with the constitutional court by a group of Czech senators.
And Mr Fischer, who has little sway over his president, said procedures were being speeded up.
After a treaty meeting by video conference with European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso and European Parliament president Jerzy Buzek, he said: 'Everything is in place for the treaty to be ready and implemented by the end of this year. >>> | Wednesday, October 07, 2009
