Czech PM: Lisbon Treaty to be Ratified by Year End

Jan Fischer, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, one of only two member states of the European Union not to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, has indicated that he does expect ratification by his country before the end of the year.

However for the treaty to be ratified by the Czech Republic the President of the Central European nation, Vaclav Klaus, a man described by the Daily Mail as a Eurosceptic, must sign it. And at present, the Czech constitutional court is studying a complaint brought against the treaty, recently approved by Irish voters at the second time of asking and designed to make decision-making within the EU more efficient, by a group of the country's senators. Therefore it appears highly unlikely that President Klaus will commit his signature to the treaty until the court completes its study, particularly in view of his Euroscepticism. The other country yet to ratify a treaty which cannot take effect until all 27 member-states have given their approval is Poland. But Al Jazeera confirms that the Polish President Lech Kaczynski is expected to add his signature to the treaty very soon. One person allegedly anxious for the treaty to be ratified as swiftly as possible so that the planning for its implementation may move forward is Fredrik Reinfeld, the Prime Minister of Sweden. His country currently holds the EU Presidency, which rotates on a six-monthly basis, and he is eager to get preparations underway. Mr Reinfeld has said that since Ireland approved the treaty President Klaus has declined to return the calls he has made to him. The Swedish Prime Minister, who was actually preceded as President of the European Council by Prime Minster Fischer, has declared:

A lot of Europeans are waiting for this to be solved and we are trying to do it as quickly as possible

If Mr Fischer's assertion that "'Everything is in place for the treaty to be ready and implemented by the end of this year" proves to be true Mr Reinfeld will undoubtedly be a very relieved man. When, or perhaps more pertinently if, the treaty is finally fully ratified, two positions that will be created and will require filling are President of Europe and Foreign Secretary. With former British Prime Minister and ex-New Labour leader Tony Blair seemingly emerging as a favorite to fill the former post, there are some suggestions that appointments for both positions could be announced as early as this month, there is apparently anger within the British Conservative Party at such a prospect. . According to the Daily Mail the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by the Czech Republic would present quite a dilemma for the Conservatives, who are expected to come to power when a General Election is held in Britain in the spring of 2010. Their plans to hold a referendum on the Treaty would be jeopardized if the Czech Republic, and Poland, have already completed the ratification process.