Czech Eurosceptics to form new party

ALLIES OF Eurosceptic Czech president Vaclav Klaus are preparing to launch a new party centred on opposition to the EU's Lisbon treaty and closely aligned with Declan Ganley's Libertas.

The decision comes after Mr Klaus resigned his honorary chairmanship of the ruling Civic Democrats (ODS) at last weekend's party conference.

He complained that its leader, Czech prime minister Mirek Topolanek, had abandoned the right-wing course Mr Klaus had envisaged for the party when he founded it in 1991.

Mr Klaus, who is still the figurehead of the party's strong Eurosceptic wing, caused controversy by dining with Mr Ganley during a State visit to Ireland last month.

He is the most prominent critic of the Lisbon treaty in the Czech Republic, which has yet to ratify the document and will assume the EU's rotating presidency next month.

The Czech parliament yesterday postponed debate on the treaty until next February.

"President Klaus won't be on the preparatory committee of the new party, but I have discussed it with him and I hope he will like it and vote for it," said Petr Mach, a close aide to Mr Klaus and executive director of a think tank he created.

Mr Mach (33) told The Irish Times that his new party, which will be officially formed and named in the coming weeks, planned to run in next June's elections to the European Parliament and in Czech general elections planned for 2010.

"I have talked to Mr Ganley already and I would welcome being part of, or running alongside, Libertas," Mr Mach said of the European elections.

"I don't think we'll be 'Libertas. cz', but I am in touch with Mr Ganley and no one else is emerging on the Czech political scene like us."

Mr Mach said the new group would "not be a narrow right-wing party" but would inevitably draw support from the ODS's natural base.

"It is not my intention to split the ODS, but I am receiving hundreds of supportive e-mails every day from people who previously voted for the ODS and some of its MPs will definitely come to us."

Mr Mach also said a similar party might appear in neighbouring Slovakia.

"I have had serious calls from people there, linked to anti-Lisbon groups, who would be able to form such a party," he said.