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Czech president's meeting with EU lawmakers ends in rift (Roundup)

Dec 5, 2008, 18:48 GMT

Prague - Czech President Vaclav Klaus' meeting with leaders of the European Parliament Friday ended in a rift, a transcript of the meeting released by his office showed. The president, who is an outspoken critic of the European Union and its reform treaty, was angered by questions from Daniel Cohn- Bendit, the head of the European Greens. Klaus' aide told reporters after the meeting that the president considers Cohn-Bendit's behaviour 'a big provocation.' According to the transcript, Cohn-Bendit first presented Klaus with an EU flag, which the president has so far refused to hang at his seat, Prague Castle. The president's spokesman recently said the policy would not change during the Czech Republic's six months at the helm of the European Union. The lawmaker, who was a student leader in the 1968 riots in France, went on an attack, the transcript showed. 'The Lisbon Treaty: I am not interested in your opinions. I want to know what you will do once it is approved by the lower house and the Senate,' Cohn-Bendit said. He also asked Klaus how he could meet with Irish businessman and anti-EU activist Declan Ganley, who rallied opposition to the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland, when it was unclear 'who pays him'. 'I have to say that nobody has talked to me in such a manner and such a tone in six years (in office),' Klaus countered according to the transcript, adding: 'You are not on Paris barricades here.' Klaus then asked European Parliament's President Hans-Gert Poettering to skip Cohn-Bendit's questions, which Poettering declined to do. 'No, we have plenty of time,' the transcript cited him as saying. 'My colleague will continue because anyone of us...can ask what they want.' As the country prepares to assume the rotating leadership of the EU on January 1, the government has faced questions whether the eurosceptic president would embarrass the Czech Republic and the European Union during the presidency. The Czech president's role however is largely ceremonial and the government agreed that Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek will represent the country as EU's president-in-office. 'The presidency will be conducted by the government, represented by the prime minister,' Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg said. Poettering said in Prague on Friday that Klaus was welcome to visit the parliament in February. Premier Topolanek alone will address the parliament as the EU's new head in January.

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SP4: I understand perfectlyDec 5th, 2008 - 19:05:10

The communists used to be to the EAST...that is confusing!

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Martin SmithDec 6th, 2008 - 07:10:30

Vaclav Klaus has more brains and plasma testosterone than the entire 'big government' elitist wimps that support the tyrany that is called the European Union. If only some other people would look at this group of radial socialist lefties and tell them the same thing as Klaus the better off Europe and the world would be.

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russDec 9th, 2008 - 04:17:29

'the government has faced questions whether the eurosceptic president would embarrass the Czech Republic and the European Union during the presidency'...

You mean that the countries in the Euro-union aren't the least bit embarrassed by their collective stance on the pseudo problem called, 'global warming'?

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Karel AdlerDec 10th, 2008 - 09:30:45

I would wish to ask, whether Cohn-Bandit did or did not appologized bolshevick invasion into Czechoslovakia in 1968. If the answer is yes, I would better recommend to Cohn-Bandit to close his chaps.
However I do not agree often with Mr. Železný, his commentary likening his speech to speech of Stellvertretender Reichsprotektor Reinhard Heydrich to Staatspräsident Emil Hácha. But we are not Reichsprotektorat Böhmen und Mähren yet again...

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No-EUDec 10th, 2008 - 20:24:50

Hans-Gert Poettering is a face of 'democratic' EU.
This is the EU I dont want to live in.
Socialism, dictatorship and eco-terrorism is UE now.

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Czech president's meeting with EU lawmakers ends in rift (Roundup)

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