Parliament to decide on Lisbon Treaty after fall elections

In related news, the foreign ministry said on Friday that the Czech government will ask parliament to vote on the Lisbon Treaty following regional elections in October. The treaty must be approved by all EU member states to take effect. Following the Irish referendum, ratification in the Czech Republic has been questioned. Friday’s Právo quotes Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg as saying he and Prime Minister Topolánek and the Minister for EU Affairs Alexandr Vondra had agreed to submit the treaty to the vote soon after the fall elections, set for October 17-18. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zuzana Opletalová confirmed the agreement but specified the vote could take place closer towards the end of the year. The Czech Republic’s parliament had launched ratification moves earlier but the process stalled in April when the Senate referred the treaty to the country's top court, to rule whether or not the document is in line with the constitution.