Postview: A difficult start for a challenging presidency

The country's first week at the helm of the European Union was less than auspicious, with the prime minister's spokesman Jiří František Potužník inserting his foot in his mouth with his comment characterizing Israel's incursion into Gaza as a defensive action, and the Czech-led diplomatic mission failing, as of our Tuesday deadline, to negotiate a ceasefire there. At times, it was difficult to tell who was in charge, with Czech President Václav Klaus and Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek staying home and working the phones, and Topolánek announcing that he had his own plan for peace in the Middle East.

In fairness, the verbal faux pas is minor, and the disorganization typical but hardly troubling. And it would be unrealistic to expect any diplomatic mission to put a stop to the latest Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Even the United States, where a transfer of power has currently put major decisions and diplomatic efforts on hold, would have a difficult time putting out this fire. In its absence, the Europeans have to try. But they have very little leverage and, despite the flurry of meetings earlier this week, no direct contact with Hamas.

Further complicating the diplomatic efforts is French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who seems unwilling to acknowledge that France's six-month tenure running the EU is over. In public statements, both Czech and French officials have been gracious and offered assurances of cooperation, particularly at Sunday's press conference, where French Foreign Affairs Minister Bernard Kouchner deferred questions about France's continuing role to his Czech counterpart, Karel Schwarzenberg.

But it was awkward, to say the least, to have Sarkozy running his own meetings and negotiating sessions alongside those of the official EU diplomatic Troika. France could continue to make significant contributions to Europe's role in world affairs, but not with Sarkozy hogging the spotlight. He should set aside his ego and personal ambitions and let professionals like Kouchner work behind the scenes to support official EU initiatives.

Meanwhile, the Czechs are to be commended for their efforts in getting humanitarian aid to Gaza, which is perhaps the best short-term contribution the EU can make. Everyone wants credit for saving the world, but practically speaking, food, medicine and other supplies are what the people of Gaza need right now.

In the long run, the current conflict there is a distraction from the real work of the EU, which has pressing problems of its own. The global financial crisis will only get worse this year, and European countries still lack a unified response. The Russians have cut gas shipments again. And there's the nagging matter of the Lisbon Treaty, which the Czechs themselves have yet to ratify. If the Czech government decides the agreement is politically untenable, then it needs to propose an alternative. As much as anything else, the Gaza conflict offers another example of the need for European countries to speak and act with solidarity of purpose.

That should be enough to keep the EU's new administrative team busy for a while.