Current Affairs Czech Republic comes under fire from France for delaying ratification of Lisbon Treaty
France took up the rotating EU presidency on Tuesday amidst increasing concerns over the fate of the Lisbon Treaty. Polish President Lech Kaczynski unexpectedly announced he would not sign the treaty following its rejection by Ireland and there is concern over the stands of Germany and the Czech Republic where lawmakers have asked their constitutional courts to review the document, delaying its ratification. President Sarkozy pulled out the big guns on Monday night, saying that France would make the treaty’s ratification its top priority and dealing the Czechs a sharp rebuke for delaying the process, especially in view of their pending EU presidency. Czech officials who are expected to cooperate closely with France in meeting long-term EU goals have reacted coolly to the criticism, saying it was unwarranted. I asked political analyst Jiří Pehe whether this latest cross-fire – and the country’s differing views could hamper close cooperation on EU ground.
Minister Karel Schwarzenberg
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