Czech government to let people decide fate of EU constitution

Leaders of the EU's 25 member states have just put their signatures to the much-vaunted EU Constitution, a ground-breaking document designed to clarify EU decision-making. But now those 25 members have to ratify it. The Czech government - like most in Europe - will most likely put the treaty to their people in a referendum. But do the people care enough to take part, let alone say 'Yes'? I have been putting that question to the people of Prague.

The leaders of 25 EU member states met to sign the Constitution, photo: CTK

"We are not interested just now. We would be, but we are not involved in the information."

If the Czech government holds a referendum on the constitution, would you take part in that vote?

"Yes."

On what basis would you vote for that constitution? What kind of constitution would you like to see?

"You are asking me more and more complicated questions! We're in the initial stages of European Union membership. So please - ask me next year, OK?"

...a typical response from people on the streets of Prague. Few Czechs seem to know much about the EU constitution, a rather worrying prospect for a government which plans to put the document to them in a vote in the next eighteen months. Prime Minister Stanislav Gross says the Czech Republic will probably be among the last countries to hold a referendum. Analysts say that's because the government hopes that by 2006, most EU members will have already have voted 'Yes'. Czechs, they say, will not want to rock the boat.

But not everyone is content to sit back and hope for the best. Monika MacDonagh-Pajerova is a co-ordinator of the NGO "Yes For Europe", a group which campaigned heavily before the June 2003 referendum on joining the EU. The group also plans to persuade Czechs to say 'Yes' to the constitution.

"What we tried to do was to put two scenarios in comparison. The one in which we join a prosperous, rich, free democratic cultural area, to which we have always belonged. And the other scenario - saying No - and thus getting on the margins of this continent, getting on the margins of decision-making, and being a periphery rather than a centre of decision-making."

On the other side of the fence is Tomas Jirsa, deputy leader of the euro-sceptic Young Conservatives.

"We're generally considered to be one of the most euro-sceptic nations in Europe, but I'm quite sure that in some other states there could be much more opposition to the treaty."

Tomas Jirsa

So it's not a foregone conclusion that it's going to pass in every country.

"I hope it's not certain, and I'm convinced the constitution will not pass in all 25 members of the European Union."

What about this member? What about the Czech Republic?

"In my opinion, what I think about the treaty after I've read it is that there's no way it could be passed. But I didn't think the Czech Republic should be entering the EU but it did, so we'll see."

But neither the Young Conservatives nor Yes for Europe can exert major influence on public opinion. A far more important role will be played by major political parties and also the country's euro-sceptic president Vaclav Klaus. He's already made his feelings on the document quite clear - he refused to sign it.