Everybody loves a good feather-ruffling. The European Commission should frankly be thanking Czech President Vaclav Klaus for the disparaging remarks he made on the Lisbon Treaty during a state visit to Ireland. At least Lisbon is back in the press, right?
Characterized as a “victory banquet” by the largely Eurosceptic media in Brussels, the anti-Lisbon organization Libertas invited prominent anti-integrationists to dinner in Ireland, including the incoming EU Council President Klaus, who has been an unequivocal critic of the Lisbon Reform Treaty. :
“We have the feeling – some of us – that it is not adding to positive development in Europe and that democracy and freedom are not to be enhanced by the ratification of the Lisbon treaty. To the contrary.”
The Irish government was quick to criticize Klaus’ inappropriate usage of a state visit to meet with Libertas and its supporters, given Libertas’ key role in the “No” campaign earlier in the year. Ireland's government is still weighing its options following the negative turnout in the Lisbon Treaty referendum, including whether or not it will let the country vote a second time.
Ironically, the Czech parliament has approved the Lisbon Treaty, but the decision for full ratification is awaiting the verdict of the country's Constitutional Court. President Klaus, however, has vowed to stop the Treaty, but his power would be eroded by a positive verdict from the courts and continued commitment to Lisbon by the parliament.
