Top EU jobs off summit agenda after Lisbon ruling adjourned

THE Czech Constitutional Court has adjourned until next week its ruling on the Lisbon Treaty, taking the issues of a new Commission and the jobs of an EU president and foreign minister off the agenda for tomorrow’s summit in Brussels.

The Swedish, who hold the rotating EU presidency, had hoped the court would rule that the new jobs at least could be discussed by the member state leaders.

With the Czech court not expected to give its verdict until next Tuesday now, a special EU leaders meeting is likely to be scheduled for early next month to make the appointments.

But in the meantime, they will hope that — provided the court’s verdict is in favour of the treaty — Czech President Vaclav Klaus will sign the treaty already ratified by his two houses of parliament.

The leaders are expected to discuss the opt-out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which is part of the treaty that Klaus has demanded, citing fears that three million ethnic Germans expelled from the country after World War II may use it to regain land.

However, this issue is likely to be in stalemate too as EU heads of governments will not want to approve any opt-out wording without a guarantee from the euro-sceptic president that he will sign the treaty.

Klaus is one of those taking the case to the constitutional court and continues to hope the treaty will be found to contravene the Czech Constitution by taking from the country’s sovereignty and attempting to create a federal state of the union. But despite making additional objections to the court in recent days, Klaus did not turn up in person as he did some months ago when similar arguments were heard but rejected by the court.

Swedish European Affairs Minister Cecilia Malmström said that without the court ruling the summit could not make the new appointments as they were part of the Lisbon Treaty. Only with “legal clarity can we decide about the new posts in the EU”, she said.

This is not expected to dampen speculation and discussions by the leaders at the meeting about the possible candidates for the jobs.

The latest duo being mentioned are low-profile Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende for president and British foreign secretary David Miliband for foreign minister.

The Cabinet was expected to discuss the Irish nominee for the new Commission at a meeting today, but if Taoiseach Brian Cowen discusses it with his Cabinet now his decision is unlikely to be made public until next week at least.