EU TREATY: WILL THE CZECHS AND POLES BE NEXT TO SAY 'NO'? THE TIMES,
LONDON: 'Pressure On Czechs And Poles Not To Say =91No=92 To EU Treaty
Too' - "Don't Put Any Pressure On ANYBODY": 'Czechs Heading To EU
Summit As Ireland's Advocates' - 'Czechs Put Ratifying Of EU Treaty On
Hold'
Pressure On Czechs And Poles Not To Say =91No=92 To EU Treaty Too
by David Sharrock and David Charter
The Times, UK,
June 19, 2008
Fears that Eastern European countries are preparing to follow
Ireland=92s rejection of the Lisbon treaty have increased tensions
before today=92s Brussels summit, where EU leaders hope to rescue the
do***ent =97 or at least keep it alive.
The Continent=92s leaders are refusing to accept that the treaty is
dead, despite the dramatic Irish referendum rejection last week, and
are determined to persuade the Czechs and the Poles, seen as the two
most likely to suspend ratification, to complete the process.
The treaty, designed to streamline the EU machine by removing national
vetoes, cutting back commissioners and creating a president of the
European Council, cannot pass unless all 27 EU countries ratify it.
Brian Cowen, the Irish Prime Minister, will face his 26 fellow leaders
at the opening dinner tonight, most of them desperate to hear him say
one thing: that Ireland will try a second referendum early next year.
But he is expected to avoid making this commitment because he has not
yet worked out what the EU can offer Ireland to persuade voters to
change their minds; it is not even clear that he believes a rerun is
winnable. Mr Cowen is expected to adopt a holding pattern, emphasising
that a route out of the impasse is months away.
Irish officials appear stumped for a solution but are taking comfort
from the sympathetic response received by Micheal Martin, the Foreign
Minister, at an EU meeting on Monday. EU diplomats are suggesting that
Ireland could be offered clear protocols guaranteeing its military
neutrality and its distinctive social legislation on matters such as
abortion, as well as the right to set its own tax levels.
But despite featuring in the referendum debate, none of these measures
was threatened by the treaty and the Government might need more
concessions, such as a guarantee that it will not lose its
commissioner when they are trimmed from 27 to 18.
The January 1 target for implementing the treaty has clearly been lost
and there is a growing belief in Dublin that the real deadline for
action may be pushed back to next June, to coincide with the European
Parliament elections, or October, when a new European Commission is
appointed.
Britain is among a number of countries arguing that Ireland cannot be
forced to try a second referendum, because a second defeat would be a
calamity.
Yesterday Jos=E9 Manuel Barroso, the European Commission President,
joined those urging the remaining eight countries to complete their
ratifications of the treaty this year.
In Poland, the do***ent has cleared parliament but is awaiting the
signature of President Kaczynski, a Eurosceptic, and he could well
decide to hold off until it is clearer whether the treaty can be saved
in Ireland.
In the Czech Republic, there is a constitutional court challenge and
President Klaus has pronounced the treaty dead. The Government has yet
to give a clear statement of its intentions.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4167681.ece
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Czechs Heading To EU Summit As Ireland's Advocates
Deutsche Presse-Agentur,
via monstersandcritics.com,
Jun 18, 2008.,
Prague - The Czech Republic is heading to an upcoming EU summit
starting in Brussels Thursday as an advocate for Ireland, whose voters
rejected the so-called Lisbon Treaty meant to reform institutions of
the 27-member European Union.
'The proposal is clear. Don't put any pressure on anybody,' Czech
Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Alexandr Vondra told
re****ters Wednesday.
'We do not want to follow the prescription of some who want to corner
Ireland.'
Since the Irish referendum, the Czech eurosceptic centre-right
government has avoided giving a clear stance on the future of the
pact's ratification process.
Vondra said it would have been wrong to say whether the country would
proceed with the ratification, as the charter is currently under
review of the country's Constitutional Court.
'The ratification process in parliament is interrupted,' he said. 'We
have to wait. It is (in) a parking lot.'
The government has been cautious in comparison to President Vaclav
Klaus who repeated Wednesday that the Irish no vote has finished off
the charter.
'I do not understand the British parliament if it votes about it,'
Klaus told re****ters in reference to Britain's decision to continue
with the ratification.
But Vondra suggested that Prague may not bury the treaty. 'We do not
say no,' he said in reference to ratification.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1412004.php/Czec=
hs_heading_to_EU_summit_as_Irelands_advocates
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Czechs Put Ratifying Of EU Treaty On Hold
By James Kirkup and Bruno Waterfield in Brussels.
Daily Telegraph, UK,
19 June, 2008.
The Lisbon Treaty suffered a fresh blow on Wednesday as the Czech
Republic suspended ratification after last week's Irish referendum
defeat.
The Czech move put pressure on Gordon Brown to declare the treaty
dead, even as he pushed ahead with moves for Britain to ratify it.
The Government defeated a Conservative attempt to delay British
ratification in the House of Lords and a bill to ratify the treaty got
its third reading by 277 votes to 184.
The treaty cannot take force until all EU states approve it and there
are signs that the Irish government will come under pressure to call a
second referendum.
Mirek Topol=E1nek, the Czech prime minister, who confirmed his country
will put ratification on hold while the Czech Constitutional Court
decides if approving the text is legal, said: "The Irish 'no' is not
of a lesser impact for us than the French and Dutch 'no'."
William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, called on Mr Brown to
follow the Czech example: "Mirek Topol=E1nek is absolutely right. A
country cannot be ignored by Brussels just because it's small."
"It would be =85 the height of arrogance for Gordon Brown to bully the
Irish into voting twice before the British people are allowed to vote
once."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/czechrepublic/2154557/Czec=
hs-put-ratifying-of-EU-treaty-on-hold.html
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