Klaus demands parliamentary vote on EU Irish guarantees

President Klaus has said the legal guarantees regarding the Lisbon Treaty demanded by the Irish government must be ratified by the Czech Parliament before he will approve them. Interim Prime Minister Jan Fischer promptly opposed the statement, saying the guarantees – which ensure for example that the EU cannot impose abortion laws on Ireland – do not constitute international treaties that would require the approval of the head of state. A strident opponent of the European Union and the Lisbon Treaty in particular, Mr Klaus has been holding off on signing the treaty since it passed parliament in May, citing ongoing reviews in the Constitutional Court.