Czech leader expects Lisbon challenge

EURO-sceptic Czech President Václav Klaus has said he expects there will be another court challenge to the Lisbon Treaty in his country.

This would make it unlikely that the treaty would come into force this year even if Irish voters vote yes in the referendum.

However, Czech Minister for European Affairs Stefan Fule, who helped negotiate the Irish guarantees, said he believes his president will not delay in signing it into law: “The government has absolutely no doubt that, at the right time, there will be a right direction from the president.

“He recognises institutions and he recognises the value of parliament voting with a constitutional majority in both chambers on approving the Lisbon treaty.”

As holders of the EU presidency, Mr Fule with Czech prime minister Jan Fischer played a key role in negotiating the Irish guarantees.

They attended the side meetings Taoiseach Brian Cowen had with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, German chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicholas Sarkozy.

Mr Fule said their role was as honest broker trying to find the right balance between ensuring Ireland got the guarantees and the protocol it needed and that the other countries were not compromised.

He said he admired the determined and straightforward approach of the Irish politicians to achieve what they believed was right for their citizens.

“It is now up to the Irish people to determine whether the guarantees we have helped to put together address their concerns,” he said.

The Czechs also have to explain to their parliament that the Irish guarantees do not change the Lisbon treaty and so there is no need for a vote as demanded by President Klaus.

Mr Fule said he it would be an honour to campaign for a yes vote in Ireland if the Government wished.

In his Dáil statement on last week’s European Council meeting, Mr Cowen said the guarantees he secured from other EU leaders will “put to bed for any reasonable or rational discussion, the non-arguments that have dominated the European debate in this country, for example the idea there would be conscription”.