Czechs to push for Barroso re-appointment in June[fr] 

Füle said governments would "take into account the results of the European Parliament elections" before making a final decision on the identity of the next Commission head. 

The Czech minister said his government was determined to resolve the issue before passing on the Council chair to Sweden, stressing that "the current mandate commits the Czech Presidency to doing it, and we refuse to abandon our commitments". 

Listing a number of issues ranging from Lisbon Treaty ratification and the economic crisis to financial stimuli and rescue packages, Štefan Füle said the new Czech government was on target to successfully conclude its EU presidency. 

"We have climbed aboard an express train, but we have no doubt about the train reaching the end of the line on time with a maximum number of goals achieved," he said. 

The Czech minister said that negotiations on Lisbon Treaty guarantees for Ireland were ongoing and that the Council was "moving" within the framework that was defined at the December European Council. 

The limits of this framework dictate that the issue of whether the declaration of worker's rights "will form part of the so-called 'soft guarantees' is neither [being] discussed nor speculated upon," Füle said. "We only need to find a wording that will allow us to maintain the delicate balance that exists among member states in this area," he added. 

The EU affairs minister is optimistic that Czech President Václav Klaus "will make the right decision at the right time" on the Lisbon Treaty. 

Füle is confident that support for the treaty from the country's parliament sent a "relatively strong signal" to the Czech Republic's partners, and signalled the impending "fulfillment of our pledge". 

The Czech minister was adamant that a previous decision by the Czech Constitutional Court had already created "a solid base" for arguing that the Lisbon Treaty does not contradict the Czech constitution. Concluding optimistically, he expressed his conviction that "the process will end in such a fashion that the Lisbon Treaty will be here sooner rather than later".

To read the interview in full, please click here.