EU Constitution Vote Delayed

Czech lawmakers postpone vote on new EU treaty

The lower chamber of the Czech parliament has postponed a vote on the EU reform treaty until Feb. 17.

The Czech Republic, which holds the EU rotating presidency, is the last EU country to vote on the so-called Lisbon Treaty.

The document reforms the structures in the 27-nation EU, and all member states must approve it for it to take effect. The treaty's future is in doubt because Irish voters rejected it in June.

The vote was delayed Wednesday at the request of lawmakers from the conservative Civic Democratic Party of Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, who cited procedural reasons. The party is split over the issue.

The parliament's upper chamber also is yet to take a vote on the charter, and it needs approval from Euro-skeptic President Vaclav Klaus.

LOL

Via International Herald Tribune

EU Constitution, Meet Bus

Czech PM's party may trade Lisbon treaty for U.S. base
Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek (Civic Democrats, ODS) said today he cannot imagine ODS lawmakers supporting the Lisbon treaty unless parliament passes the Czech-U.S. treaty on stationing a U.S. radar base on Czech soil.

"It is hypothetical. In view of that the ODS group (of deputies) has 81 members and I think that I know opinions of most of them, it is very difficult for me to imagine that the deputies, or ODS senators, would vote for the Lisbon treaty if the ratification of the treaty with the United States failed," Topolánek said on Radio Cesko.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her Czech counterpart, Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, signed the main treaty on stationing the radar base on Czech soil in Prague on Tuesday.

Topolánek said "It is not entirely acceptable to connect it like this. But for the deputies who can make a free choice, it can be a certain aspect that will play a role in the decision-making."

To take effect, the treaty must be ratified by Czech parliament and signed by the president.

And President Vaclav Klaus has said that he is ready "without any hesitation" to sign the treaty

Support for it particularly in the lower house is, however, uncertain. It is rejected by the opposition and also by some government Green Party deputies.

Treaty opponents are claiming "that the US anti-missile defence shield in Europe is likely to be abandoned by the next American administration". If Barack [deleted] Obama is elected POTUS, he may very well do just that.

But be very careful of what you wish for. Barry O could also decide that it's time for Europe to take care of Europe and bring all American forces home. But what about NATO you whine? Surrender Monkey Logic says that the need for NATO ended when the Berlin Wall came down. After all the NATO treaty is . . . just words . . . .

The Lisbon treaty, which Topolánek signed for the Czech Republic, is opposed by some deputies from his party, the ODS. It was on their initiative that the Senate sent the treaty to the Constitutional Court to check whether it is in harmony with the Czech Constitution.

Via ČeskéNoviny

Euroweenies In Panic Mode

Sarkozy warning on EU expansion
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said the European Union will not be able to expand further without ratification of the Lisbon Treaty.

An EU summit in Brussels has exposed divisions over how to proceed with the reform treaty - which was rejected by Irish voters in a referendum last week.

A decision on what to do next is expected to be postponed until October.

The leaders are now expected to discuss Zimbabwe. A draft statement threatens increasing EU sanctions on the country.

Wrong signal

Mr Sarkozy's comments about EU expansion came after clear divisions emerged over the future of the treaty and the meeting decided that the Irish should report back in October on possible ways out of the impasse.

"Without the Treaty of Lisbon there won't be any enlargement," he said.

"You can't say no to reforms and yes to enlargement."

The BBC's Jonny Dymond says one diplomat described Mr Sarkozy's comments as a threat - and the wrong signal to send to the Irish people - and those of Croatia and Turkey, who hope to join the 27-member bloc.

Mr Sarkozy did add that he would travel to Ireland when France takes over the rotating EU presidency in July to help find a solution.

The treaty must be ratified by all member states to take effect. Nineteen have approved it so far, the latest of which was the UK, where it passed through parliament on Wednesday.

Czech brakes

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso urged respect for the Irish "No" vote but said he was confident all the countries would complete the ratification process. He ruled out renegotiating the reform treaty.

"When a treaty is signed by 27 governments it's not just for fun," he said. "It's inconceivable that a government signs a treaty without the intention of ratifying it. It's a principle of international law."

And it's a principle of Euroean Union conventions that all member states must ratify a constitution treaty. Big difference, asshat. In a free, fair and transparent election, the people of Ireland said NO to the European Constitution Treaty of Lisbon. Get it?

Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, whose country is the current holder of the EU presidency, said enlargement should not be a victim of the delay in ratifying the treaty.

"I believe we'll find a way out of the situation before any candidate country is ready for a decision on accession to be taken in the EU," he said. "I don't think the commission wants to slow down the process."

In effect telling Sarkozy to go . . . himself.

Germany rejected the idea of moving ahead on Lisbon without Ireland, which won strong Czech backing at the summit.

Our correspondent says concern is swirling around the intentions of the Czech government.

Pressed on whether he intended to ratify the treaty, Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said that he was not going to put the brakes on to halt ratification.

But he added he would not bet 100 crowns (£3; $6) on a "Yes" from parliament.

[....]

Read the rest at The BBC

A Crisis In The Making

True “crisis” would be EU bullying Ireland into ratifying Lisbon

Leaders of the European Union are sitting down in Brussels on Thursday to try to find a way out of the crisis created by Ireland’s rejection of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty in Friday’s referendum. Following Britain’s ratification, all eyes are on the Czech Republic, where the Senate has sent the document to the Constitutional Court before they’ll go any further. So with Czech ratification on hold, what happens next? Rob Cameron spoke to Petr Mach, director of the Eurosceptic think tank the Centre for Economics and Politics, and began by asking him whether this really was a crisis.

PM: “I would call it a crisis if the European Union continues to bully Ireland for how they decided, but if the European elites, the bureaucracy, the remaining nations will accept this result, it’s no crisis.”

RP: Does that mean you believe the Czech Republic should not continue with the ratification process?

PM: “I think it would be absurd. What is the purpose of voting in parliament? The purpose of voting in parliament is to pass bills or treaties and not to bully someone. And now the Irish people have rejected the treaty, it’s clear it cannot come into force. So I don’t want the Czech Republic and the Czech parliament to become a tool of the EU bureaucracy or some nations to bully Ireland.”

RP: In your view then, is the treaty dead?

PM: “It is, because it was rejected in one of the 27 nations so it cannot come into force. So it’s finished.”

RP: Nonetheless, I think even you would agree we need something else. There are 27 members now in the EU. It started as six. The system we have is not designed to cope with so many, and the EU is simply inefficient and needs to be streamlined, made more effective. What do we do now?

PM: “I think the European elitists and big nations told Ireland before enlargement a new treaty was needed. Then it was the Nice Treaty. So the Irish were told that they must ratify the Nice Treaty just because the EU needs a new treaty as it is enlarged. Now they’re being told the same thing about the Lisbon Treaty, and everybody could clearly see since enlargement in 2004 that the EU can work, can function with the current treaties.”

RP: What then in your view should the politicians of this country do?

PM: “You know that currently the treaty is standing in the Czech Constitutional Court, so until it decides whether it is in line, or not, with the Czech Constitution, everybody must wait. But I think the best thing would be for the Czech government to withdraw the treaty from the parliament entirely, because now it’s irrelevant. Any decision by the Czech parliament would be irrelevant.”

Javier Solana was unavailable for comment.

Via Radio Prague

Klaus: Maybe I'll Write It Myself

Czech president surprised at Britain continuing ratification
Czech President Vaclav Klaus does not understand why the British parliament continues in the ratification of the Lisbon treaty today, after the Irish voters rejected it last week, Klaus has told reporters.

"The Irish 'no' clearly said that the treaty was over. I think that patients and not treaties should be resuscitated," said Klaus, who met journalists for the first time since a hip joint surgery today.

The Lisbon treaty to reform EU institutions, which replaced the rejected European constitution, must be ratified by all 27 member states to take effect.

After the rejection of the Lisbon treaty in the Irish referendum, everybody should understand that "this is not the way," Klaus noted.

He said previously that the ratification ended with the Irish "no."

Klaus pointed out that "a document of a completely different character" should replace the Lisbon treaty. If no one writes it, he is prepared to do so, he added.

"If they make me stay in hospital for long, I will write it myself," he said with a smile.

Heh. Somehow, I get the feeling that what would likely be called The Treaty of Prague will open with words to the effect of, "When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

The House of Lords is to deal with the Lisbon treaty in second and third reading today. The House of Commons has already approved it.

Britain might theoretically ratify the Lisbon treaty before the EU summit in Brussels, starting on Thursday.

Via ČeskéNoviny


Meanwhile, back at the global warming climate change climate fluctuation skeptics HQ ---------------


Click to enlarge

On The Good Ship Lollipop

Oh, a storm is threatning
My very life today
If I dont get some shelter
Oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away

EU treaty 'will shift power to Europe'
The EU Reform Treaty backed by Gordon Brown paves the way for "a massive and fundamental" shift of power to Europe, a senior Labour MP charged by Parliament with assessing its impact will tell the Commons today.

The comments from Michael Connarty, the pro-European chairman of the all-party European Scrutiny Committee, will mark an explosive start to five weeks of Parliamentary debate on the Treaty - and stoke the growing clamour for a referendum.

Tonight - with Gordon Brown absent from the Commons - rebel Labour MPs hope to stage a substantial rebellion with between 20 and 30 said to be ready to vote for a cross-party amendment demanding a national vote.

The Tories, who support a referendum, last night accused Mr Brown, who is on the last leg of a tour of the Far East, of "running scared" over the vital issue of Europe by making sure he is out of the country when the ratification process gets under way.

Directly contradicting the Prime Minister, who claims he has protected British sovereignty by negotiating "red lines" into the text, Mr Connarty argues these will do little to halt the gradual transfer of power from national parliaments and courts to Europe.

"The Reform Treaty and the red lines are just a postponement of what will be one system for all of Europe," he told The Daily Telegraph last night.

Mr Connarty backs the new Treaty because he wants a stronger Europe but said he had decided to speak out because the British and other governments had not told the people of Europe the truth.

On criminal law, immigration and border controls, the Treaty had set up mechanisms for national vetoes to be steadily eroded and authority transferred from British ministers and UK courts to Europe.

It set the European Parliament on course to gain powers at the expense of Westminster as authority shifted from national capitals to the European centre.

The new Treaty, also known as the Lisbon Treaty, has to be ratified by national parliaments or in referendums in all 27 EU countries to come into effect.

It will scrap dozens of national vetoes, create a new full-time EU President and foreign affairs supremo, and give the EU a legal personality allowing it to sign international treaties.

Mr Brown argues that Labour's promise to hold a referendum on the abandoned Constitutional Treaty in Labour's last election manifesto does not apply to its successor because it is less far reaching.

That argument is further undermined today by a report from the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee which says that in foreign policy there is little or no difference between the two Treaties.

"We conclude that there is no material difference between the provisions on foreign affairs in the Constitutional Treaty which the Government made subject to approval in a referendum and those in the Lisbon Treaty on which a referendum is being denied."

The Labour-dominated committee accuses the Government of seeking to downplay the importance of large parts of the Treaty such as the new post of EU High Representative for foreign affairs and security, who will be served by a new EU diplomatic External Action Service.

Pro-referendum campaigners revealed plans yesterday to stage local referendums, giving half a million people in marginal constituencies a chance to have their say. Organisers of the "I Want a Referendum" campaign say it will be the biggest vote of its kind since the 1975 Referendum on keeping Britain in the Common Market.

While the Government majority is not under threat in tonight's vote, Labour whips were said to be increasingly concerned last night about cross party alliances forming between MPs discontented with the Treaty for a range of different reasons.

The Tories who have vowed to oppose the Treaty are expected to table amendments to the ratification Bill in the House of Lords later in the ratification process.

Left-wing Labour MPs, urged on by the unions, are also planning to put down their own amendments demanding that the UK's opt-out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights be removed.

If the Tories back such amendments - as a way to kill the Treaty - then Mr Brown's faces real problems.

[...]

There's much, much more at The Telegraph

See also Trouble In Gordon Brown's Paradise

Also at A Tangled Web


Gimme Shelter lyrics, Jagger/Richards

Trouble In Gordon Brown's Paradise

Could a no confidence vote be on the near horizon?

EU treaty won't work, says Labour MP
The new EU constitution treaty "won't work", the government is warned today, as ministers prepare for a bitter Commons showdown over the controversial document.

Gisela Stuart, one of the "wise men" that drew up the original EU Constitution, said the Lisbon treaty lacked the necessary legitimacy to work across Europe.

The Labour MP has signed an amendment to the Bill, which returns to the floor of the Commons on Monday, calling for a referendum on the treaty.

Stuart believes the UK's Europe minister should be a cabinet-level post, akin to a deputy prime minister, and should be directly accountable to the Westminster parliament.

She also wants an assurance that any future changes to qualified majority voting (QMV) in the European parliament would be subject to primary legislation in the House of Commons.

In an interview with Guardian Unlimited, Stuart said: "I think this document pushes to the limits the areas I think I could just about agree with, but I would need further safeguards, so these are the limits and I think that's what this debate is going to be about."

Stuart said the revised document gave the European Union a "toolbox" of powers that would allow it to "interfere in virtually every aspect of our lives".

"There is no longer a question of saying, there are certain things that the union can't touch. Actually the union can touch everything."

Pressed on her objection to the treaty, Stuart said: "I don't think this is going to work."

Asked why, she added: "Because of a lack of legitimacy in the eyes of large swaths of people across Europe ... The crunch will be the environment. If you look at the golden opportunity to tax the little people into oblivion acceleration of climate change, at the moment on the environment we are in a comfort zone of thinking all we need to do is take our bottles to the skip, recycle our newspapers; if you are really daring you say we should put tax on plastic carrier bags. And we think that's enough.

"Well the penny is going to drop that it's not going to be enough, and you will need to make a decision on whether you tax or ration carbon emissions. Of course no one country can sensibly do this on its own, so this will be a classic case of where you need the EU to do this. And the EU will start to ask its citizens to stop doing something they have always comfortably done before. There will be some fairly hard demands.

"People accept hard demands if that's a deal from their own government. But when politicians across Europe start saying, as they have always done, 'it is not us' - it's always been the politician's way of getting out of uncomfortable positions - at that point, it doesn't have that kind of legitimacy." Describing the Lisbon treaty as the same as the failed EU constitution "in substance", Stuart said: "I've been struggling to find analogies of how you compare this. It's like a cookery recipe: all the same ingredients, but you've just rearranged them differently. Or [former French president] Giscard d'Estaing came up with a wonderful phrase: he said, 'it's the same letter; just in a different envelope'.

Stepping up pressure on Gordon Brown to call a referendum, Stuart said: "My view is whether you call it a constitution or whether you call it a treaty, in essence it is something pretty significant, and it's a matter of trust now for the political parties to honour their promise.

"The British people should be given a say, as they were promised by all the major political parties in the 2005 election.

"I certainly will find it difficult to vote for the treaty on Monday unless there is a commitment to have a referendum."

How 'bout dem apples?!? Like Gordon Brown, Gisela Stuart is a member of the Labour Party and she's just thrown down the gauntlet.

Warning of the potential for Europe creep, Stuart said: "I give you one example. Ten years ago everyone said health was [the competence of] national member states. Absolutely no doubt about it. You then started to get court cases where people from one European country were going to another European country for dental treatment. The question was, was that part of the internal market? One of the key things of the European Union.

"So we have the first court decision, the European Court of Justice, that says, 'yes, it is part of the internal market'. And then over a number of years you get more and more decisions because cases come up, until last year when someone in England goes over to France to jump waiting lists and the courts say 'well yes, you can do that, but you need prior permission and all kinds of caveats' - but the principle is established.

"You then at the same time over those 10 years have things like CJD [and] bird flu, so people say, 'well of course, bird flu and CJD don't recognise national boundaries, so public health must be an EU competence.' So we make public health an EU competence; we make health service delivery a court judgment ... so what's the next thing?

"A European commission draws up a proposals for an EU health directive, which it did before Christmas, then decides to withdraw it to consult more. It doesn't say we'll put it back on the table, and as we in the UK are the only ones to have a totally taxpayer-funded [health] system we will have particular problems. But this just illustrates that there is nothing where the EU doesn't have means - whether it's court judgments; whether it's internal market; free movement of labour - the way it makes laws. In every way it now has means, and once it has taken away a UK competence, there is no way you can ever go back."

Stuart called for a strengthening of the prime minister's assurances over QMV.

"The prime minister committed himself to saying, 'no more extension of qualified majority voting or any further powers unless this house agrees to it.' Well, I would like that tightened up," Stuart said. "First of all, the only area where that could happen is in defence and foreign policy, because everything else already has gone to QMV.

"But I would want primary legislation, so it's not just one vote the government can whip through with their majority, but [instead] it would actually have to be a bill and go through the House, and go through [all] the stages.

"The second thing is the way the House itself operates has to change - very, very significantly."

Asked how she would vote in a referendum, Stuart said: "I don't know yet. There are a number of things I would want to hear from our ministers, and assurances in terms of their interpretation, and it will be extremely finely balanced which way I will go.

"My argument is that all the deals struck in Brussels need to be answered at the dispatch box. Create a proper Europe minister, take the Europe minister out of the Foreign Office, but make that person accountable for those negotiations. And that's almost a deputy prime minister post.

"I want them to come to the dispatch box every two weeks and say 'those are the deals we have struck'. I think you would find that that person would probably be responsible for negotiating something like 50% of our legislation, and that would merit a cabinet post."


Via The Guardian

José Manuel Barroso was unavailable for comment.


And hoping to avoid Nigel Farage

See also Reality Confronts European Union.

Also at A Tangled Web