Court, Klaus approve Lisbon

President Václav Klaus signed the Lisbon Treaty Nov. 3 after the Constitutional Court rejected a challenge filed by a group of Civic Democratic Party (ODS) senators, making the controversial accord law throughout the 27-member-state European Union.

"I signed the treaty at 3 p.m.," Klaus told journalists.

Just after 9 a.m., Constitutional Court Chairman Pavel Rychetský announced the ruling that the treaty was compatible with the Czech Constitution.

In recent weeks, the ruling was viewed as a foregone conclusion and an EU summit Oct. 29 cemented guarantees sought by Klaus to prevent restitution claims by 2.5 million ethnic Germans expelled from Czechoslovakia following World War II. Klaus then pledged to sign Lisbon pending the court's decision, saying he would have "no further requests."

"The last hurdle is overcome, and the completion of ratification has nothing in its way," Prime Minister Jan Fischer said of the court ruling.

"It is not a surprise," said ODS chief and former Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek.

Up next is a special EU summit in mid-November, during which member states would choose a European foreign policy chief and full-time council president, two new posts created by the Lisbon Treaty. Though former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has often been mentioned as a possible president, Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy has recently emerged as the front runner. Lisbon is expected to come into force on Dec. 1.

Klaus, after reluctantly signing the treaty, said it compromises Czech sovereignty.

Jiří Oberfalzer, the senator leading the court challenge to Lisbon, offered similar views after the morning's judicial ruling. "The EU has nothing to fear in the Czech Republic," he said. "The Czech Republic has something to fear in the EU."

Last month, UK Conservative Party leader David Cameron sent a letter to Klaus urging him to delay signing Lisbon until next year, when Cameron hoped a Conservative victory in a general election would pave the way for a public referendum on the treaty. Shortly after the court ruled Nov. 3, Cameron addressed the issue on a UK radio station.

"It looks like this is going to happen. I am very disappointed by that," he said. "I, of course, hope [Klaus] doesn't sign the treaty, but I suspect time is running out."

- Petr Cibulka Jr. contributed to this report.

Benjamin Cunningham can be reached at
bcunningham@praguepost.com