Klaus takes insult to EP vice-president's comments

The right-of-centre Civic Democrats in the European Parliament have demanded an apology from the vice-president of the European Parliament, Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca, as well as another EP member for comments made on Wednesday. The EP vice-president, along with the chairman of the constitutional committee, Jo Leinen, criticised Mr Klaus for his EU stance, saying statements the Czech president had recently made about the European Union were 'prejudiced' and 'untrue'. Mr Klaus reacted on Thursday by saying he found both men's offensive. He has sent a letter to the chairman of the European Parliament, Joseph Borell, asking him to take a stance.

The opposition Civic Democrat MPs in the European Parliament have also reacted by calling the criticism "scandalous".