I will not sign Lisbon Treaty - Czech President

[Sol Invictus]

[YOUTUBE]A9EFk99bAig[/YOUTUBE]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6871365.ece

The President of the Czech Republic has no intention of signing the Lisbon treaty, a move that might allow David Cameron time to hold a British referendum on Europe.

President Klaus, the fiercely Eurosceptic Czech leader, is the last obstacle for the agreement after its ratification in the other 26 EU states but he has told supporters that he will never sign, The Times has learnt.

Asked during a walkabout on Sunday not to put his name to the treaty, Mr Klaus replied: “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

After a crisis Cabinet meeting yesterday, Jan Fischer, the Czech Prime Minister, avoided a direct confrontation with Mr Klaus, bowing to his demand to reopen negotiations with the EU on an eleventh-hour opt-out.

However, he called on the unpredictable President to guarantee his signature if EU leaders agreed to his conditions and if the Czech Constitutional Court raised no new objections.

Mr Klaus is demanding an opt-out for the Czech Republic that would prevent German families expelled after the Second World War from lodging property claims at the European Court of Justice.

He raised the stakes on Friday, putting a dampener on EU celebrations over the Irish referendum decision to back the treaty. The President argued that the charter could whip up an avalanche of property claims from German families expelled from Czech territory after the war.

Mr Fischer’s refusal to face down his President now throws the problem back at EU leaders at their summit in Brussels on October 29-30, when they had hoped to celebrate the completion of the treaty.

They had also hoped to appoint the EU president and foreign minister, roles created by the treaty, but will now have to be content with a discussion about candidates, including Tony Blair.

The treaty has been passed by both Houses of the Czech parliament but the Prime Minister, acting in a caretaker role after the collapse of Mirek Topolanek’s Government in May, ruled out any attempt to bypass the President.

“I would not like to talk about constitutional crisis,” Mr Fischer told The Times. “The Government is in a position to negotiate the extra conditions revealed by our head of state. We are ready to go to the European Council to put it on the table.”

Hinting at a breakdown in relations between himself and President Klaus, he added: “The Government would like to have clear and sound guarantees from the side of the head of state that this is actually the last step from his side and no other additional conditions will be added.”

Mr Fischer, who will be in Brussels for talks today, said he hoped that the treaty could still be concluded by the end of the year. The lack of agreement from Mr Klaus will infuriate other EU members, particularly France and Germany, which are pushing hard to wrap up the Lisbon treaty saga.

[Loddfafner]

So I take it you oppose the rights of Germans to reverse the ethnic cleansing of Sudetenland?

[Sol Invictus]

So I take it you oppose the rights of Germans to reverse the ethnic cleansing of Sudetenland?

What do you mean?

[Electronic God-Man]

What do you mean?

Although it sounds good that Klaus won't sign...he's only doing it so that Germans (ie Sudetenland Germans) don't make property claims in the Sudetenland from which they were forcibly expelled after WWII. Apparently signing the Lisbon Treaty would allow for them to do so. Klaus sounds like he will go right ahead and sign it as long as the EU includes a clause saying that this can't happen.

[Loddfafner]

Isn't the Sudetenland issue Klaus' primary concern? The Czechs expelled and killed large numbers of Germans who lived in Bohemia. The survivors and their descendants might like to get their homes, towns, and farms back. This threat to the Czech squatters is a touchy issue. A stronger European Community might provide a legal framework for restitution. Cesky Budejovice might once again become Budweis.

[Sol Invictus]

Although it sounds good that Klaus won't sign...he's only doing it so that Germans (ie Sudetenland Germans) don't make property claims in the Sudetenland from which they were forcibly expelled after WWII. Apparently signing the Lisbon Treaty would allow for them to do so. Klaus sounds like he will go right ahead and sign it as long as the EU includes a clause saying that this can't happen.

Well I would have to claim ignorance on the whole Sudetenland expulsion business because really it doesn't have anything to do with me. But the expansion of the EU and it's goals certainly does, because it will have a direct impact on us here at home in the long run, and the rest of the world. As far as Klaus and his willingness to sign it except on those terms, I don't blame him really. I don't support Quebec separation at all, for example, because it's territories were ceded to British rule, and ultimately Canadian rule, and it should stay that way..

[Loddfafner]

What is wrong with a Europe strong enough to balance the US in world affairs?

[Sol Invictus]

Isn't the Sudetenland issue Klaus' primary concern?

Perhaps, Lodd. But doing this sort of thing through the program of the EU is not the way to do it.

[Sol Invictus]

What is wrong with a Europe strong enough to balance the US in world affairs?

Because it's not about balance. It's about consolidation and centralization of power on multiple facets at the expense of national borders and local rights and independence. This is not what Europeans signed on for.

[Electronic God-Man]

Klaus will sign. He's not opposing the EU. He just doesn't want to deal with pissed off Germans that were expelled by Slavs. His opposition to signing has little to do with opposition to the EU.