Klaus’ opt-out under fire in the European Parliament

President Klaus came under heavy criticism in the European Parliament on Wednesday over his opt-out condition for signing the Lisbon treaty. German MEP Rebecca Harms called the Czech head of state a troublemaker who should not be accommodated, and she asked the Swedish EU presidency to reject Mr Klaus’ prerequisites at the EU summit later this month. The Parliament was the scene of a debate over the Beneš Decrees. MEPs called the decrees a pretext using an issue that had already been thoroughly discussed before the Czech Republic’s accession to the EU, when it was determined that they could not be affected retroactively. The president was not entirely beleaguered however; Mr Klaus was praised by a British MEP, who said that the Austrian and German retorts were proof that he is defending his country’s interests.