President Klaus reiterates desire for fundamental EU changes

Czech president Vaclav Klaus has said that his critical attitude to the European Union is slowly becoming commonplace among Europe's political classes. Speaking to Mlada fronta Dnes on Saturday, the notoriously Eurosceptic president told the newspaper that his opinions on Europe have now become "mainstream", citing the Netherlands emphatic rejection of the EU Constitution two years ago as an example. In the same interview, Mr Klaus told the daily that in addition to fundamental changes in the European Union, he would also like to see Czechs hold a referendum on the adoption of the euro. "Every currency is a huge emblem of the state," he said, "and in this sense, people should make the decision whether they want to lose this immensely significant symbol."