PM says Lisbon treaty may not be ratified in time for EU presidency

Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek has raised doubts as to whether the Czech Parliament would approve the Lisbon treaty ahead of the country’s EU presidency in the first half of next year. At a press briefing in Prague on Tuesday, Mr. Topolánek said that a vote on the treaty would most likely be delayed due to the fact that the Constitutional court had postponed by two weeks its ruling on whether the treaty was in line with the Czech constitutional order. The prime minister said the delay was unfortunate in view of the country’s upcoming EU presidency, but he said he was confident the treaty would get approved in the first quarter of next year.