Presse nährt Spekulationen über tschechischen Ratfizierungsdeal [en][fr] 

Seventeen Czech ODS senators close to Klaus filed on 29 September a second complaint against the Lisbon Treaty with the Constitutional Court in Prague, putting on hold its ratification (EurActiv 30/09/09).

Indeed, while the Czech parliament ratified the treaty in February (EurActiv 18/02/09), the Czech Senate repeatedly postponed its final vote, mainly due to the issue being linked to the controversial US missile defence shield (EurActiv 25/02/09).

"I am fully convinced that if Klaus were prepared to sell his signature for a significant commissioner post, for instance for energy or transport, the Czechs would get it," analyst Piotr Maciej Kaczyński of Brussels-based think-tank the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), is quoted by Rzeczpospolita as saying.

Nevertheless, Czech Ambassador to the EU Milena Vicenova told Czech news agency CTK that such a "deal" did not seem very realistic to her, though "this consideration may appear in the EU".

She added that other countries would not take a passive approach and would strive to secure high-profile portfolios.

If the Irish people approve the Treaty today (2 October) by second referendum, the Czech Republic and Poland would be the last EU member states not to have completed ratification as their presidents have not yet signed it.

Kaczyński to sign next week?

Conservative Polish President Lech Kaczyński could sign the treaty next week if it is ratified by Ireland, the newspaper Gazeta Prawna announced today. According to Paweł Wypych, who is close to President Kaczyński, he could do so the day after the official Irish results, three days after, "but for sure before 11 November".

No talk of Czech commissioners before ratification

When Czech Social Democrat (CSSD) chairman Jiri Paroubek and former Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek – a potential candidate for the Czech commissioner portfolio – went to Brussels on 29 September, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso warned the two politicians that there would not be any new Czech commissioner if their country were to continue to block the Lisbon Treaty.

In an exclusive interview with EurActiv.cz, European Affairs Minister Štefan Füle said that if the Czech Constitutional Court finds no contradiction between the Lisbon Treaty and the country's constitution, President Václav Klaus should complete the ratification procedure by signing it without further delay (EurActiv 01/01/09).