THE LOWER house of the Czech parliament approved the Lisbon Treaty yesterday, an important but not final step towards ratification. Government and opposition deputies approved the treaty by 125 votes to 61.
It has yet to be approved in the Czech upper house, where it could still face months of delays.
Many senators from the ruling right-wing Civic Democrat party say a separate plan to host a US missile defence shield radar base must first be ratified.
“I am glad the Lisbon Treaty made it through the lower house,” prime minister Mirek Topolanek said after the vote.
“The next battle will be in the Senate. We still have our congress declaration that ties [it] to ratification of treaties with the United States,” he said. Parliament also had to approve legislation that would clip the government’s power – granted under the treaty – to give up national authority in certain areas without prior legislative approval, he added.
Some Civic Democrat members voted against the pact, saying it would infringe national sovereignty and some have even threatened to quit the minority administration if the treaty passes.
The Senate, controlled by the Civic Democrats and their centrist allies, has delayed debate on the Lisbon Treaty until at least April, demanding the lower house quickly pass the missile defence plans. But the radar plan’s chances of a swift passage appear remote as the government lacks a majority in the lower house and the opposition Social Democrats are against the scheme.
In addition, US president Barack Obama has been cooler on the plan than the previous administration. Some Civic Democrats have said they could drop their demand for the shield’s ratification if Mr Obama put the missile defence roll-out in Europe on ice.
Even if the treaty passes both chambers of parliament, Eurosceptic Vaclav Klaus, the Czech president, could delay a pact he sees as a step towards a European superstate. He has hinted he would not sign the text until Ireland votes. – (Reuters)