You’ve got to hand it to him! He doesn’t give up. He is delaying because HE wants the Lisbon Treaty scrapped - as does Cameron. Cameron will continue the fight by other means but only - of course - for Britain. That’s not what Klaus wants.
If he wins this one he'll be Santa Klaus and he can come down my chimney anyday!
Note than the caretaker prime minister, Jan Fischer, is like ours - never elected! Also, he’s an ex-communist !
Christina
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INDEPENDENT
9.10.09
.Czech president wants treaty opt-out
By Geoff Meade, Press Association
The President of the Czech Republic today clarified what he wants before signing the Lisbon Treaty - a UK style "opt-out" from the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
The Charter, incorporated in the Treaty, sets out citizens' existing basic social rights and became legally-binding once it was part of the Treaty.
Concerned about the implications for sovereignty over social policy, both the UK and Poland insisted on inclusion of a Treaty "protocol" making plain that nothing in the Charter creates new rights.
Now Vaclav Klaus, whose signature is required as the last act before the Lisbon treaty comes into force, wants the same treatment - risking a major last-minute rift over the Treaty.
Mr Klaus says all he wants is a simple "footnote" in the Treaty reflecting his concerns - but in Brussels officials made clear it was not that simple.
One EU diplomat said: "The Czechs were asked at the time of negotiation of the Lisbon Treaty whether they wanted a protocol (on the Charter of Fundamental Rights) and they did not ask for an opt-out.
"This is about Klaus regaining constitutional control in the Czech Republic where the government, and not the president, negotiates on behalf of the country.
"I repeat: At no point did the Czech government ask for this opt-out during Treaty negotiations. The ball is now in the court of the Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer - he'll have to decide if he wants to risk re-opening the Treaty negotiations, because that is what will be involved."
Mr Klaus made his position clear during talks in Prague this morning with the president of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek.
After the meeting Mr Buzek issued a statement which said:
"The meeting with President Klaus was held in a very open and frank manner. President Klaus stated that the Czech Republic would like to have the same arrangements on the Charter of Fundamental Rights as the United Kingdom and Poland."
This afternoon Mr Buzek was meeting Czech political leaders and goes on to Poland tomorrow for talks with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, currently holding the EU presidency, and with EU Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso.
The trio will be there to witness the signing of the Treaty by the Polish President Lech Kczynski - which will leave all eyes on Mr Klaus.
Mr Buzek said the three would take the opportunity of the occasion to "discuss the latest demands from the Czech President and "try to find a solution to this matter".
Mr Klaus is clinging to the fact that the Czech Constitutional Court is having to consider a legal complaint against the treaty from a group of Czech Senators.
But that is expected to be dismissed, leaving the deeply eurosceptic Mr Klaus to either concede and sign, or hold out for his "footnote"
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