Czechs will not ratify Lisbon prior to any 2nd Irish vote: Sunday Times

[kerrynorth]

According to the Sunday Times the Czech Republic will not ratify Lisbon prior to any 2nd referendum here late next year even if the Constitutional Court gives it clearance. The Times states that Klaus will not assent to the ratification of Lisbon as long as Ireland has not ratified it. This will frustrate a key tactical argument of the Yes side as Ireland will not be alone in not having ratified Lisbon at the time of a 2nd referendum.
Czechs to delay Lisbon ratification - Times Online

[hiding behind a poster]

I'm not sure he has the authority to do that - and even if he does, the notion of a non-executive president blocking the expressed wish of a sovereign parliament would provoke a major constitutional crisis in the Czech Republic. Funny how Mr Klaus' supposed concern about democracy doesn't extend as far as his own country.

[edifice.]

I'm not sure he has the authority to do that - and even if he does, the notion of a non-executive president blocking the expressed wish of a sovereign parliament would provoke a major constitutional crisis in the Czech Republic. Funny how Mr Klaus' supposed concern about democracy doesn't extend as far as his own country.

And our own vote etc concerning our own parliament etc..........

[evercloserunion]

According to the Sunday Times the Czech Republic will not ratify Lisbon prior to any 2nd referendum here late next year even if the Constitutional Court gives it clearance. The Times states that Klaus will not assent to the ratification of Lisbon as long as Ireland has not ratified it. This will frustrate a key tactical argument of the Yes side as Ireland will not be alone in not having ratified Lisbon at the time of a 2nd referendum.
Czechs to delay Lisbon ratification - Times Online

I'm not sure how "key" that argument is. It was never employed extensively during the first campaign; what was communicated was that he rest of the Union was largely relying on us to ratify. And that is still the case; the Czechs have not by any means rejected the Treaty, nor have the British, and it's fairly clear that both countries would be okay with ratification if Ireland votes Yes. So really all it comes down to is that the Treaty cannot be implemented without the consent of the Irish people, which has always been the case.

And ditto HBAP's comment on the Czech president's hypocrisy. Not that any of us should be surprised at this point.

[ibis]

I'm not sure how "key" that argument is. It was never employed extensively during the first campaign; what was communicated was that he rest of the Union was largely relying on us to ratify. And that is still the case; the Czechs have not by any means rejected the Treaty, nor have the British, and it's fairly clear that both countries would be okay with ratification if Ireland votes Yes. So really all it comes down to is that the Treaty cannot be implemented without the consent of the Irish people, which has always been the case.

And ditto HBAP's comment on the Czech president's hypocrisy. Not that any of us should be surprised at this point.

It's a No argument - that "the EU" was going to try and isolate us so we'd say yes. Since that's not actually happening, it's being repackaged as a victory for the No side. If the Czech Parliament overrules their turbulent President, then we will swing back to it being a bullyboy attempt to isolate us.

What's deliciously ironic, of course, is that Klaus, who was not popularly elected, apparently intends to oppose the elected Parliament by not ratifying Lisbon, in a country where Lisbon is popular with the voter. Watching the Irish No side cheering him on in the name of "democracy" is good value.

[FutureTaoiseach]

I'm not sure he has the authority to do that - and even if he does, the notion of a non-executive president blocking the expressed wish of a sovereign parliament would provoke a major constitutional crisis in the Czech Republic. Funny how Mr Klaus' supposed concern about democracy doesn't extend as far as his own country.

The ruling party in the Czech republic is the ODS (Civil Democrats) which is Klaus's party. He is an idol to many in the ODS and it is debatable whether the govt will want a showdown with him, not least with PM Topolanek facing a possible leadership challenge from his Eurosceptic wing. Topolanek may need to appease his Eurosceptic-wing in order to hold on. Also a 60% majority is needed in the Czech Senate to ratify this Treaty. The Obama transition will also play into this, as the Czech govt has said it will not proceed with ratification of Lisbon unless the missile-defence passes. If Obama insists on proceeding with missile-defence in Eastern Europe then that will help doom this Treaty. Even after the recent elections, the govt still has a majority (42 out of 81) in the Senate, and the anti-Lisbon Communist party also has 3 seats.

The underlying conclusion to be drawn from this story is that Ireland is not isolated in refusing to ratify the Lisbon Treaty. The only isolation on this matter is of the political elites who support Lisbon. They are isolating themselves from public-opinion in their respective countries, by denying them a referendum, or by defying the no votes in Holland and France to an almost identical treaty (the EU Constitution) in 2005. The people of Europe are opposed to a European superstate, and the politicians are attempting a coup against democracy by defying democratically-expressed no votes. What part of no don't the politicians understand? Lisbon in its present form is dead.

[Demotruk]

Er, Klaus is only a ceremonial president. He has no right to block this, whatever you think of EU democracy.

Ibis, the "what do we do when everyone else has ratified Lisbon and we're holding back Europe all on our own" case has been made many times on RTE, and here.

[kerrynorth]

Interesting article in the SPB
Klaus took government for ‘complete and utter ride’
Sunday Business Post | Irish Business News
And Tom McGurk
http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/st...553-qqqx=1.asp

[kerrynorth]

It's a No argument - that "the EU" was going to try and isolate us so we'd say yes. Since that's not actually happening, it's being repackaged as a victory for the No side.

What planet have you been living on Ibis? That has been an argument from the Yes camp right through the referendum campaign and adnaseum afterwards.

[ibis]

Er, Klaus is only a ceremonial president. He has no right to block this, whatever you think of EU democracy.

Ibis, the "what do we do when everyone else has ratified Lisbon and we're holding back Europe all on our own" case has been made many times on RTE, and here.

I admit I wouldn't know what RTE has been making of it, but the form I have most often seen it in online is as I expressed - as an argument by No campaigners that the post-Ireland ratifications are a deliberate attempt to isolate Ireland and pressurise it. I didn't see many Yes posters using it as a plank in their arguments for Lisbon, and I wouldn't consider it a particularly worthwhile argument myself.