Government tells Civic Democrat senators to hurry with Lisbon complaint

The Czech government called on a group of Civic Democrat senators on Wednesday not to delay their constitutional complaint concerning the Lisbon treaty. The cabinet said that postponing the completion of the treaty’s ratification process would negatively affect the Czech Republic’s standing within the EU.

Both chambers of the Czech parliament approved the EU’s reform document earlier this year. However, President Václav Klaus refused to put his signature to it and finalize the ratification process. He said he would wait for a group of Euro-sceptic Civic Democrat senators to file a petition to the Constitutional Court to see whether the Lisbon treaty is in line with Czech law. The senators expect the petition will be ready by early October. Meanwhile, the cabinet said on Wednesday there was no reason to delay the complaint.