Majority of Czechs not interested in Czech EU presidency

An opinion survey conducted by the CVVM polling agency suggests that most Czechs are simply not interested in the country’s upcoming EU presidency. Seventy-five percent of respondents said the matter did not concern them, while just under fifty percent said that as EU president the Czech Republic would not have any greater influence on EU decision making than as a regular member. Only 24 percent of respondents said they were interested to see how their country would face up to the challenge. The Czech Republic is to take up the rotating EU presidency in January of 2009, replacing France. If the Lisbon Treaty, reforming the way the union is run, is ratified by all members by the end of the year it will come into effect during the Czech presidency.