Czech President Vaclav Klaus yesterday became the 27th and last European head of state to ratify the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty, after the Czech Republic’s Supreme Court rejected a Constitutional case brought by Eurosceptics against ratification.
Klaus’ signature therefore overcomes the last hurdle posed to the Lisbon Treaty, after a second Irish referendum comfortably passed last month.
Lisbon, which will replace the Nice Treaty, was originally drawn up to streamline decision-making in the EU, and is largely a watered-down version of a draft EU constitution rejected four years ago by French and Dutch referendums.
Among its measures, the Lisbon Treaty will create a European Council president, a centralized European foreign office, and will also modify the way member states vote.
After the Czech ratification, the treaty could now come into force as early as December 2009.
The Lisbon Treaty’s supporters say it will allow the EU to operate more efficiently and give it greater influence in world affairs. Critics say it will cede too many national powers to Brussels.
In Malta, both sides of the House are in agreement with the treaty’s overall aims and effects: which, from a local perspective, also include a sixth seat for Malta in the European parliament, which will now go to Labour candidate Joseph Cuschieri.
In fact, both the Nationalist and Labour issued statements yesterday welcoming the final act in the Lisbon Treaty saga.
The PN described the Czech ratification as important, adding that the resulting sixth seat for Malta was a vital acquisition for which the PN had always worked hard.
“This should strengthen Malta’s representation in the European Parliament and in committees which focus on important sectors for the country,” the PN said.
Similar sentiments were also expressed by Labour.
“This should bring to an end a chapter of uncertainty in the history of the European Union’s development,” the Labour statement pointed out. “Now that this obstacle has been overcome, the member states and the institutions of Europe should focus their efforts on the economic, social and environmental challenges faced by the EU.”
Such political consensus is however rare in Europe. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown welcomed the ratification, and said it marked the end of years of debate.
“Today is a day when Europe looks forward,” he said.
But the opposition Conservative Party, which has argued the treaty should be put to a referendum, said it would announce its response on Wednesday.
The Czech Republic was the last of the EU’s 27 member states to ratify the treaty. Mr Klaus is understood to have signed he treaty under protest, shortly after the Czech constitutional court rejected a complaint against it.
According to the BBC, Mr Klaus accused the court of bias and said the Czech Republic was no longer sovereign.
The Eurosceptic Czech leader had recently said he would no longer attempt to block the treaty, after receiving the promise of an opt-out from the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Mr Klaus said the opt-out was needed to avoid property claims from ethnic Germans expelled from Czechoslovakia after World War II.
The Lisbon Treaty replaced an earlier draft constitution that was rejected in referendums in France and the Netherlands in 2005.
It would create the post of a new European Council president who would serve a term of two-and-a-half years.
It also provides for a new foreign policy chief, combining the posts of the existing foreign affairs representative and the external affairs commissioner.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said earlier that he hoped the EU could move “as quickly as possible” to make appointments to the new posts.
Malta’s representative to the new foreign office has already been named: Dr Joanna Drake, former head of the European Commission
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