This is a real cliffhanger. The courage Klaus has shown in standing up to the bullying and threats from almost every leading European politician (except David Cameron) is a lesson in steadfastness to us all. Klaus is just about the only person in Europe who speaks for the people - especially the people of The Netherlands, and the French and the Irish who have all said NO and been ignored and the people in the rest of Europe who have not been asked. The only true democratic politician
Christina
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ECONOMIST - Charlemagne’s Notebook 29.9.09
Europe ponders how to pressure the Czechs on Lisbon
Posted by: Charlemagne
PRESIDENT Vaclav Klaus of the Czech Republic must feel his ears burning non-stop at the moment. Wherever senior EU types gather, the talk is of how best to put pressure on him to sign the Lisbon treaty, easing its path to final ratification—assuming that the Irish vote Yes to Lisbon in a referendum this Friday. I hear that the latest wheeze being discussed is an emergency EU leaders' summit, perhaps as early as next week, essentially designed to put pressure on Mr Klaus to buckle and sign. The Swedes, who hold the rotating presidency of the EU at the moment, are resistant to hold such a summit, I hear. They think it could be counter-productive to put too much pressure/pay too much attention to Mr Klaus, something of an attention-seeker.
The idea of the emergency summit is being pushed forcefully by President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, I am told. In his view, if the Irish vote No, an emergency summit is indispensable. And if the Irish vote Yes, it would be unforgivable for EU leaders to wait until a scheduled summit at the end of October before meeting to discuss the swift ratification of Lisbon.
The summit is still up in the air, it seems. Meanwhile, the Czech former prime minister, Mirek Topolanek, has warned his countrymen that the Czech Republic risks losing its EU commissioner in the next commission if Mr Klaus refuses to sign. I have written about this threat before, and last time suggested that it was an empty threat because the commission size is a decision to be taken by consensus, and it seemed unlikely the Czech government would agree to such punishment. I admit I had not thought of another angle raised by Mr Topolanek: the chance that the European Parliament would refuse to approve a new commission that includes a Czech member, as long as Mr Klaus is holding out. That rings true: such a grandstanding piece of political muscle-flexing would be right up the parliament's street. Plus, the parliament is home to Lisbon's biggest fans: the treaty is Christmas come early for MEPs as it gives them so much more power. Their rage when Lisbon and its predecessor the Constitutional Treaty were voted down by French, Dutch and Irish voters was reminiscent of children watching their presents heading back up the chimney.
Will any of this external pressure work on Mr Klaus? I wonder. Well-informed types in Prague suggest the most effective pressure on him is the threat of being impeached for failing to perform his duties as president.
Meanwhile, as first announced last week, a fresh legal challenge to Lisbon has been lodged by a group of senators close to Mr Klaus with the Czech Constitutional Court. The challenge seems doomed, but it could drag things out for a few more months. For some reason, the film Groundhog Day comes to mind.
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