Czech Republic Last Country Needed to Ratify EU Treaty

On Saturday, the president of Poland signed the Lisbon Treaty which will change some of the workings of the European Union (EU). After the signing, the Czech Republic becomes the only country not to have ratified the treaty. The purpose of the treaty is to create a president and foreign minister for the EU, and give the opportunity for rotating representatives from countries within the EU to be a part of the EU's executive branch called the EU Commission. For the treaty to go into effect, every member country must ratify it.

As of right now, the Czech Republic has sent the treaty to be reviewed by a Czech court to determine if it follows along with their constitution. Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus has some concerns with the treaty. His signature is also required for the treaty to be ratified. He is especially concerned with the part of the treaty called the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union which has to do with human rights, such as property. He is afraid that the Luxembourg Court of Justice of the EU would have the power to overturn laws that the Czech Republic has already decided since they will be able to determine if the member countries are acting in accordance with the charter. He would like to propose an exemption from the charter like Poland and the United Kingdom have already gotten. The Czech Republic's Prime Minister Jan Fischer is upset that the president didn't speak with the government first before voicing his opinions. He believes that the Czech Republic is well on its way to ratifying the treaty in spite of the president's concerns.

By Kelly Martin