THE CZECH prime minister has reassured EU leaders that his country’s eurosceptic president Václav Klaus will sign the Lisbon Treaty, despite his own failure to show up for a meeting in Brussels yesterday.
“I am fully and deeply convinced that there is no reason for anxiety in Europe,” Jan Fischer told leaders of the three main EU institutions via video link when his aircraft was grounded due to a technical fault. “In the Czech Republic the problem is not whether Yes or No, the question is when.”
He believed everything was in place for the ratification of the treaty to be completed in the Czech Republic by year-end. When asked if he had received a personal guarantee on this from Mr Klaus, he replied: “All the messages I have received indicate there is no reason for the president to defer his signature once the constitutional court reaches a decision”.
Mr Fischer was due to meet European Commission president José Manuel Barroso, Swedish prime minister Fredrick Reinfeldt and European parliament president Jerzy Buzek to discuss the treaty.
Mr Reinfeldt called the meeting following the Irish Yes result on Saturday, which leaves only Poland and the Czech Republic to ratify the treaty.
Polish president Lech Kaczynski is expected to sign the treaty in the coming days. However, there are concerns in Brussels that Mr Klaus may delay signing it even after the Czech constitutional court rules on a new appeal against it, which has been lodged by 17 Czech senators.
Mr Barroso, Mr Reinfeldt and Mr Buzek all denied the EU was trying to put pressure on the Czech Republic by calling the meeting in Brussels. However, Mr Buzek said it was important to point out the costs to the 500 million people in the EU that came with a further delay in ratifying the EU treaty.
Mr Buzek has asked to meet Mr Klaus in Prague on Friday, although so far the invitation has not been accepted. Mr Klaus has also refused to meet the Swedish European affairs minister Cecilia Malmström who will arrive in Prague for talks with other Czech politicians about the treaty today.
Sweden, which holds the rotating EU presidency, has said it will not be in a position to begin consultations on the new post of president of the European Council until it is clear Mr Klaus will sign the treaty. It has also asked the current EU foreign affairs chief and the commission to stay on in a caretaker capacity until it becomes clear that the treaty can enter into force.
Meanwhile, there were angry words exchanged between Irish MEPs and UKIP leader Nigel Farage at a debate yesterday on the Irish referendum in the European Parliament.
Mr Farage, who played a prominent role in the referendum campaign, said Irish people were bullied into voting Yes. “What happened in Ireland was that they got littlest boy in the playground and put him in the corner and given him a good kicking,” said Mr Farage, who noted that the Yes campaign was based on the slogan vote Yes for jobs.
“Aer Lingus has laid people off today, Intel, which spent €400,000 campaigning for a Yes, laid off 300 today and 1,500 jobs have gone since Saturday,” he added. “The only jobs saved are those of politicians.”
Labour MEP Alan Kelly responded by noting that the “leprechauns of UKIP” had disappeared, in a reference to the T-shirts and hats worn by some UKIP MEPs in the chamber following last year’s No vote. “You’ll be glad to know that I believe Irish people have banished them forever,” he added.
Fianna Fáil MEP Pat the Cope Gallagher said Mr Farage’s intervention in the Irish campaign and his speech yesterday was an insult to the Irish people. “Your intervention meant 3-4 per cent extra for the Yes side,” he added.