PM Fischer says he did not fail the country in Brussels

Caretaker Prime Minister Jan Fisher on Friday sharply rejected suggestions that the Czech delegation had failed to defend the country’s interests in Brussels. Mr. Fischer said that his team had done the best possible job under the circumstances, had not overstepped its mandate and had not in any way put at risk the rights of Czech citizens. Responding to criticism from the Social Democrats, Mr. Fisher said that trying to arrange an exemption pertaining to the Beneš decrees alone would have buried the Lisbon treaty. He said the Social Democrats knew perfectly well what the Czech government delegation would strive to achieve in Brussels and had not voiced any criticism ahead of the trip.