Coalition parties clash over radar, Lisbon Treaty

Politicians from two of the government's ruling coalition parties clashed Sunday over impending votes on the EU Lisbon Treaty and a controversial US anti-missile radar base to be built on Czech soil. Green Party Education Minister Ondřej Liška warned the Civic Democratic Party that it would be playing with fire if it linked support for ratification of the Lisbon Treaty with a demand that Green Party lawmakers support the US radar base. He said failure by the Czech Republic to ratify the Lisbon Treaty by end of this year could bring down the coalition government. Meanwhile, the Civic Democrats, the strongest party in government, are outraged by what they see as a lack of support from their coalition partners. Several Green lawmakers have said they would not back the US radar in a parliamentary vote, putting at risk Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek chances of pushing through the controversial radar deal.