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With less than two days to go until the start of the summit, EU member countries remain divided over how much money to offer the newcomers. The President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, has backed the candidates' demands, urging member states not to hold back the financial support originally set aside for enlargement. However Denmark, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU, insists there is no more money available, and some countries, such as Germany, say the offer is too high already. Meanwhile Denmark has warned Poland it risks being left out of the EU altogether if it persists in trying to get a better deal on farm subsidies.

The government is to discuss an updated national security and defence strategy at its session on Monday. The current defence and security strategy was adopted two years ago. However, since then, the country's security has improved due to its integration into Western political and defence structures, but at the same time it has to react to the changing situation especially as regards the growing threat of international terrorism. The new strategy also takes into consideration the conclusions of the recent NATO summit.

The senior partner in the ruling coalition, the Social Democratic Party, have nominated former justice minister Jaroslav Bures as their candidate for the upcoming presidential election to replace outgoing president Vaclav Havel. Party leaders met on Saturday to choose from three candidates who emerged from an internal party referendum - Jaroslav Bures, former party chairman and prime minister Milos Zeman, and the ombudsman Otakar Motejl. Mr. Bures came second in the referendum, after Milos Zeman who later said he would run for president only if the parliament fails to elect the president and new election has to be held.

So far, three other political parties have nominated their presidential candidates. The main opposition Civic Democrats have nominated outgoing party chairman and former premier Vaclav Klaus, the Communist Party's candidate is a former communist military prosecutor Miroslav Krizenecky, and the junior coalition Christian Democrats propose Senate chairman Petr Pithart.

Austrian opponents of the Czech Temelin nuclear power station have threatened to stage a "permanent" blockade of the Czech-Austrian border crossing at Wullowitz/Dolni Dvoriste. The blockade is to start on Wednesday, December 11. Their goal is to achieve a re-opening of the energy chapter prior to the EU summit in Copenhagen. They say if they fail to receive a permit for the permanent blockade of the border crossing from the authorities, they intended to go on a hunger strike.

Temelin, situated in south Bohemia, some 60km from the Austrian border, was put on-line in October 2000. It has been sharply criticised by both politicians and anti-nuclear activists in Austria and Germany who claim that it is unsafe due to its combination of Soviet and Western technology.