Mixed reactions to President Klaus' vision of a future Europe

There have been mixed reactions to President Klaus' vision of a future Europe. The president outlined his own vision for the old continent in Saturday's edition of Lidove Noviny, depicting an Organization of European States, which would benefit by free trade and movement of capital and labour but not be restricted in their sovereignty. Members of the coalition government said that the president's concept would mean turning back the clock by 20 years which would not be to Europe's advantage. On the other hand, a senior communist official liked the idea of losing less sovereignty to Brussels and said that he too considered European citizenship to be an "artificial product".