Czech deal paves way for Lisbon ratification

THE chances of the Lisbon Treaty entering into force took a major step forward last night as EU leaders agreed with the Czechs on an opt-out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Now the only hurdle is the judgment of the Czech constitutional court that is hearing objections from a number of senators and the Czech President, Vaclav Klaus, and is expected to give its ruling on Tuesday.

Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer told EU leaders at their summit that the agreement had the full support of President Klaus and he has undertaken to sign the treaty once the court clears it, as they are expected to do.

There was concern that whatever deal was reached would raise problems for some other countries, especially Slovakia and Hungary, that had similar fears. These were based around fears that ethnic Germans expelled from the then Czechoslovakia after the war would use the European Courts of Justice to regain their land.

But all countries agreed to the resolution demanded by Mr Klaus as a prerequisite to his signing the treaty.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen got a round of applause from his fellow EU leaders at last night’s meeting as a show of appreciation for Ireland accepting the treaty in the referendum some weeks ago.

“This is the first time since I became Taoiseach that I have come to a European Council where the Lisbon Treaty spotlight is not on Ireland. That is something of a relief!”

Mr Cowen said it had been a difficult road, adding: “For me, the most fitting conclusion now would be the rapid implementation of the Lisbon Treaty.”

The delay in agreeing the treaty means that the job of appointing a new European Commission and filling the new job of EU president has been put on hold.

But the leaders appear to have agreed the important decision that the job should not be a high profile one but rather that of a chairperson who would prepare their summits and chair them.

This was a blow to the candidature of former British PM Tony Blair. He failed to win the support of the second largest political grouping in the EU, the Socialists, the group to which the Labour party belongs.

The front-runner now appears to be the much more low-key Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende who is reported to have had enough of his job after a decade leading the country.

At the start of yesterday’s summit, he spent some time speaking with one of the king-makers, France’s Nicholas Sarkozy.