Vaclav Klaus reversing Orwell

Since the EUSSR is a favourite dystopian expression for the European Union among supporters of Czech president Vaclav Klaus, let us take a look through the prism of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”.



We already know that during the negotiations leading to the Lisbon Treaty, the United Kingdom and Poland negotiated exemptions from the Charter of fundamental rights of the European Union.

The EU Charter does not create new rights, but makes existing ones from various sources more visible.

Thus, the UK and Polish exemptions carry little legal weight, but they are powerful political statements from governments vary of rights for their residents.

In addition, Protocol (No 30) tells us that Britain and Poland want to stay on the fringes of the EU community of values.

More than two years after the negotiations started, with the Lisbon Treaty already democratically approved in all 27 EU member states, Czech president Vaclav Klaus has surprised his country’s government and everyone else, by demanding a similar exemption.

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Equality?

All EU citizens are equal, but some EU citizens are less equal than others, seems to be the motto of president Klaus.

He wants his citizens to join the less equal on the outskirts of the community of values.



He explains his sudden demand with imagined fears, although the Czech Constitutional Court has declared that the EU Charter is compatible with the Czech Constitution.

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True reasons?

If Klaus’ reasoning is false, it raises the question of his true motives.


If you read the latest EurActiv story and the fresh EUobserver article on how Klaus’ aide Ladislav Jakl has presented the ultimatum, there is little evidence of any will to solve the stated problem.


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In between



The Czech government, caught unawares, sits uncomfortably between Klaus’ political blackmail and its will to secure the last ratification before the end of the year.

Czech Happenings reports that the government wants to negotiate with the president’s office and the European Union, but it also wants guarantees that Klaus is not going to throw new spanners into the works.


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I feel sorry for Prime Minister Jan Fischer and his government.



Ralf Grahn