Havel criticises Klaus for holding up treaty

PLAYWRIGHT, communist-era dissident and former Czech president Vaclav Havel has lambasted his successor, Vaclav Klaus, for preventing the Lisbon Treaty from coming into force.

Following Ireland’s Yes vote and the signature of Polish president Lech Kaczynski, only Mr Klaus’ objections are blocking implementation of the treaty, which the Czech parliament has approved.

Mr Klaus believes the treaty will transfer too much power from national governments to Brussels. He has refused to sign it until the EU grants the Czech Republic an exemption from clauses which he believes could expose his country to claims for property that belonged to three million Germans expelled from Czechoslovakia after the second World War.

“I am very sorry about this, because it is hurting the name of the Czech Republic in Europe,” said Mr Havel, who was regularly imprisoned and saw his work banned under communism, before being swept to the presidency by the pro-democracy Velvet Revolution 20 years ago.

“It’s irresponsible and dangerous, but I strongly believe that the treaty will be ratified by the end of the year,” he added.

Czech prime minister Jan Fischer hopes to have a compromise deal acceptable to both Mr Klaus and European leaders ready for approval at an EU summit at the end of this month.

He said yesterday that the government had opened talks on the issue with Mr Klaus, whom he wanted to promise to sign the treaty “immediately” if his demand for an exemption was met.

Mr Fischer warned, however, that it was “impossible and illusory” for Mr Klaus to hope for a solution that forced all 27 EU states to re-ratify the treaty.

The government also insisted yesterday that the treaty was compatible with Czech law, ahead of a constitutional court hearing on a complaint lodged by Eurosceptic senators allied to Mr Klaus.