EU diplomats express concern at Klaus's Lisbon role

Czech president Vaclav Klaus: outspoken opponent of treaty

THE GOVERNMENT has dismissed a suggestion that the clarifications it is seeking on the Lisbon Treaty could be agreed in July rather than June to avoid a potential showdown with Czech president Vaclav Klaus.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said yesterday it was “imperative” a deal is struck between EU leaders at the June European Council to maintain the tight timetable the Government has set for organising a second referendum on the treaty.

“Postponing it until July causes significant difficulties with that timeline. Ideally, one would have domestic legislation in the aftermath of the June council to pave the way for a referendum and to have a parliamentary debate before the summer recess,” said Mr Martin, who said the referendum commission also needed time to do its work.

Mr Martin made the comments at an EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg where several EU diplomats privately expressed concern about the potentially damaging role the Czech president could play if he is allowed to chair the June EU leaders’ summit in Brussels.

“There are speculative conversations here about the possibility of holding an EU summit in July to deal with the Lisbon clarifications in case of a problem in June,” said one EU diplomat. “But I stress these are very speculative conversations.”

There is concern in Brussels that the collapse of the Czech government, which holds the rotating six-month EU presidency, could enable Mr Klaus to hijack the summit and cause problems with the Irish clarifications. A new Czech administration led by technocrats is due to take over the running of the EU presidency next week and it is possible Mr Klaus will get the role of chairing the June summit.

He is an outspoken opponent of the treaty and EU diplomats fear he could use his chairmanship to make a deal on the Irish clarifications more difficult, or at the least create a public relations disaster.

Some EU diplomats suggested yesterday it may be better to wait until the Swedish presidency begins to hold a special summit to conclude the Irish clarifications. However, a Swedish spokeswoman said it had no plans to hold such a summit in July.

Outgoing Czech deputy prime minister Alexander Vondra also downplayed fears Mr Klaus could jeopardise the summit. “We are a rationale country and will continue our presidency in a responsible way.” Mr Klaus famously called Mr Martin a “hypocrite” on a state visit to Ireland last year. Mr Martin downplayed his bad relationship with Mr Klaus. When asked about how the two could work together, he said: “We are both politicians.”