Sudetenland dispute key to Klaus’ “footnote” demand

The announcement confirms speculation published earlier Friday by the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita, that Mr Klaus’ demand to “footnote” the treaty is based on concern that Czech courts would lose jurisdiction over such cases as property disputes with Sudeten Germans to foreign judges with no knowledge of the history of the region. In the opt-out to the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Mr Klaus seeks a guarantee that would subordinate the Charter to Czech law. The Beneš Decrees formed the legal grounds for the displacement of the native German population from Czechoslovakia in the aftermath of WWII.