VACLAV KLAUS PREPARES FOR EU SELLOUT

It would appear that President Vaclav Klaus has merely been using Britain as a pawn in his ongoing political manouevres, to extract more concessions from Brussels on behalf of the Czech Republic, much like the supposed "guarantees" that were given to Ireland to ensure a yes vote earlier this month and the opt-outs that the German Constitutional Court are deliberating. This piece of news does not bode well for Britain's chances of a referendum on the European Constitution/Lisbon Treaty after the expected change of government next year.

Klaus has told  the Czech press that he has no intention of holding out until next May or June - he said that if Britain had an election in a few weeks time it would be fine, but as that is not going to happen, he is expected to sign the Treaty by the end of the year! I do hope we'll be able to offer the President some future help in return for the support he has shown towards Britain -  

AND THEN NOT GIVE IT TO HIM!

Here is the main part of the story, courtesy of Yahoo News

Czech President 'will likely sign EU Treaty'

PRAGUE (AFP) – Euro-sceptic Czech President Vaclav Klaus, the last European Union leader holding out on signing the EU's reforming Lisbon Treaty on Saturday suggested he would ultimately sign the text."The train carrying the treaty is going so fast and it's so far that it can't be stopped or returned, no matter how much some of us would want that," he told the Lidove Noviny daily. 

Klaus, who angered EU partners when he further delayed the ratification process by asking for an opt-out on the treaty earlier this month, added he still did not see the text as a good thing for "freedom in Europe."But "its potential validation will not be the end of history. The dispute over freedom and democracy in Europe will certainly continue," said Klaus.Repeated delays have given rise to concerns that Klaus may be waiting for the next British general election, to be held by June 2010, after which the Conservatives, the likely winner, may hold a referendum which could bury the treaty. But Klaus said these fears were ungrounded as "I cannot and will not wait for British elections, unless they hold them in the next few days or weeks."

So, there you have it - straight from the horse's mouth - thanks for nothing! UKIP, anyone?

FULL STORY AT YAHOO NEWS

ANTI-EU HELP FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Some of you may remember a while back when I found an article by Peter Oborne in the Daily Mail which informed us that we were going to receive some unexpected help from Germany as they had referred the Lisbon Treaty back to their Constitutional Court. They have still not managed to amend the treaty to their satisfaction and, as we all know, whatever amendments they make in order to keep the sovereign powers that they do not wish to relinquish to the EU will be null and void as soon as the Treaty has been ratified.

Now we are going to get even more help from the Czech Republic as you can see in the following report from The Times. Many thanks to Quiet Man for pointing me in the right direction - he's rather made my day.

Czech Republic 'planning to delay signing Lisbon treaty'

EU leaders are said to be furious that the Czech Republic is planning to delay signing the Lisbon treaty for up to six months even if the Irish vote "yes" in their referendum next month.

The country might even try to delay it until after the British general election campaign when a Tory victory would see the question put to voters by David Cameron.

Nicolas Sarkozy, who helped to draw up the treaty after the French and Dutch voted against its predecessor, the EU Constitution, has warned Prague that it faces "consequences" if it does not swiftly follow an Irish "yes" with its own ratification.

The outburst followed a private warning from Jan Fischer, the Czech caretaker Prime Minister, to his EU counterparts over dinner at their summit in Brussels last Thursday, it has emerged.

Mr Fischer said that Václav Klaus, the country's unpredictable President, was planning to have a group of loyal senators in the Czech Upper House refer the treaty back to the country's constitutional court for a second time, which could delay ratification for between three and six months.

This would mean that the treaty could still be unratified going into the British general election campaign, expected next April or May. Mr Cameron has pledged that, if the document remained a live issue, even though Britain has completed its own ratification, he would call a referendum on it. This prospect horrifies most EU leaders, given the strong vein of Euroscepticism in Britain.

Tensions are already running high among EU leaders over whether the Irish will vote in favour of the treaty on October 2 after a close-run referendum campaign. They are desperate that the momentum of a "yes" is not lost on the eurosceptic Czech and Polish presidents, the final two signatures required for EU ratification.

The treaty further erodes national powers to veto EU decisions, and a Tory government would campaign against it. President Klaus is understood to have told allies that he wants to wait if possible to see if Mr Cameron wins the next election.

Speaking after last Thursday's dinner, Mr Sarkozy said: "I stated clearly that if the Irish say 'yes', there is no question that we will accept to stay in a no-man’s land with a Europe that does not have the institutions to cope with the crisis,” he said.

Asked about what could be done to persuade President Klaus to sign, he added: "It will be necessary to draw the consequences — but those will be the subject of another meeting."

Mr Fischer is acting as caretaker Prime Minister after the Government of Mirek Topolánek fell in the summer and while fresh elections are organised. He has warned privately that he has little control over the country's headstrong President. Speaking to Czech journalists after last week's summit, he admitted: "It is certainly a fact that several government leaders perceive the ratification process in the Czech Republic with a degree of nervousness."

Notice the same old threats from Sarkozy about "consequences" just as the people of Ireland were told if they vote "NO"!! Cameron may yet have to grow a set and give us our referendum as all three parties promised us they would in their 2005 election manifestos - another fucking lie.

President Klaus and the Czech Republic may yet turn the tide on the EU monster and buy us enough time for our own resounding "NO" vote. Then Cameron must ensure that the EU is dead in the water once and for all!

I don't know about you but this is the best news I've read on the subject for some time.