President Vaclav Klaus of the Czech Republic was transformed this weekend from a Eurosceptic hero - "the last man standing", whose opposition to the Lisbon Treaty might save Britain from its tentacles - to something verging on a traitor. He has caved in, say opponents of the treaty; perhaps even been "got at" by EU threats to marginalise his country. President Klaus is now expected to sign the document, completing its Europe-wide ratification. And that means that the Lisbon Treaty will be in force when a future Conservative government comes to power (if it does). To put it simply: Mr Klaus's signature makes the prospect of a British referendum on Lisbon vanishingly small. David Cameron made his position plain as long ago as June 2008, when he told an audience in Harlow, Essex: "We may have to say, well look, we're not happy with this situation, here are some of the powers we'd like to have back. But we can't give you that referendum on the Lisbon Treaty because it's already been put in place across the rest of Europe."
To put it simply: Mr Klaus's signature makes the prospect of a British referendum on Lisbon vanishingly small. David Cameron made his position plain as long ago as June 2008, when he told an audience in Harlow, Essex: "We may have to say, well look, we're not happy with this situation, here are some of the powers we'd like to have back. But we can't give you that referendum on the Lisbon Treaty because it's already been put in place across the rest of Europe."
Article 50 1. Any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements.
1. Any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements.
Government prepares for constitutional clash The government is prepared for a constitutional confrontation with President Václav Klaus if he persists in blocking the Lisbon treaty, the magazine Respekt reported on Monday. It says the government is considering asking the Czech Constitutional Court to rule whether President Klaus can continue to refuse signing the EU's reforming treaty if his current demands are met and the court rules that the treaty is not in conflict with Czech law. Respekt says the government would ask the court's permission for the prime minister to ratify the treaty if it ruled against the president. The government is prepared to inform EU leaders of its stance at a summit at the end of this month, it adds.
The government is prepared for a constitutional confrontation with President Václav Klaus if he persists in blocking the Lisbon treaty, the magazine Respekt reported on Monday. It says the government is considering asking the Czech Constitutional Court to rule whether President Klaus can continue to refuse signing the EU's reforming treaty if his current demands are met and the court rules that the treaty is not in conflict with Czech law. Respekt says the government would ask the court's permission for the prime minister to ratify the treaty if it ruled against the president. The government is prepared to inform EU leaders of its stance at a summit at the end of this month, it adds.
So Cameron is left dangling in the worst of all possible europes. One where he can't have his lisbon referendum (he was really banking on Ireland voting no) but having provided too much encouragement to those europhobes hwo want him to make trouble.
I may hate the tories and their attitude ot europe but I look forward to being vastly entertained as they twist in the wind on it. keep to the Fen Causeway
