The Irish Wolf, The EU Goat And The Wily Czech Fox

Czech government considering Klaus demands

The Czech government is meeting today to discuss calls by President Václav Klaus for an opt-out for the Czech Republic from the EU's charter of fundamental rights.

Klaus raised a new obstacle to the Czech Republic completing ratification of the Lisbon treaty last Thursday when he called for an opt-out from the charter, the same as the UK and Poland obtained when the treaty was negotiated in June 2007. Klaus is reported to want to prevent ethnic Germans being able to use the charter to claim compensation for property seized at the end of the Second World War following the expulsion of Germans from the former Czechoslovakia.

Under the Czech constitution, the government is responsible for negotiating international treaties so it could refuse to back Klaus's call for an opt-out

Not for them the meaningless 'guarantees' given to the Irish:

“the guarantees given to Ireland are not guarantees; they were a political declaration in a style such that the Irish wolf filled its stomach and the Lisbon goat remained whole”.

Czech Spanner In EU Lisbon Works

EU Lisbon Treaty: Czech Republic government caves in to eurosceptic president - Telegraph

The crisis over the EU Lisbon Treaty has deepened after the Czech Republic's government backed down in a battle with President Vaclav Klaus over his refusal to sign the text.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA! Long may it continue.

Czech Republic 'planning to delay signing Lisbon treaty' - Times Online

Czech Republic 'planning to delay signing Lisbon treaty'

EU leaders are said to be furious that the Czech Republic is planning to delay signing the Lisbon treaty for up to six months even if the Irish vote "yes" in their referendum next month.

The country might even try to delay it until after the British general election campaign when a Tory victory would see the question put to voters by David Cameron.

Please. Please.