(Repeats story published late on Monday)
* Czech PM ready to discuss president's EU treaty demands
* Says ratification cannot be reopened in other EU states
* Says President Klaus must pledge this is his last demand
By Jan Lopatka
PRAGUE, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The Czech government said on
Monday it will discuss with other European Union members how to
overcome demands by President Vaclav Klaus which are holding up
the introduction of the EU's Lisbon Treaty.
Klaus's refusal to sign the treaty, which has already been
approved by both houses of parliament, means the Czech Republic
is the only EU country yet to complete ratification of a charter
meant to streamline decision-making in the 27-nation bloc.
The Eurosceptic leader stunned the EU as well as the Czech
cabinet last week by saying the country must secure an opt-out
from part of the treaty, which he said was necessary to protect
Czechs from possible property claims by Germans expelled from
the country after World War Two.
Klaus's last-minute demand is a big stumbling block towards
ratification, and EU diplomats in Brussels expect Fischer to
explain the Czech position there on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Jan Fischer said the government regretted
Klaus did not raise his demand sooner, but was ready to seek a
solution if Klaus pledges he will have no further conditions.
"The government declares its willingness to discuss a
possible solution to this situation with its European partners,"
Fischer told a news conference.
When the treaty was being negotiated, Britain and Poland won
opt-outs on the application of some of the provisions of a
Charter of Fundamental Rights which will be given binding force
when the Lisbon treaty is ratified.
But a similar opt-out would be difficult to secure this late
in the process, because it could require new ratification in all
the other EU member states. Fischer said this was impossible.
"The government is prepared to take this non-standard move,
although it considers the re-opening of the ratification process
in fellow EU member states impossible," he said.
EUROSCEPTICS WANT DELAY
It may be easier to secure a political declaration by EU
leaders, similar to guarantees given to Ireland to eliminate
fears the treaty could infringe Irish neutrality, tax and
abortion rules.
A Klaus aide said on Sunday that the president wanted a
strong and binding guarantee, rather than an Irish-style
political declaration.
Klaus has long criticised the treaty -- which would give the
EU a long-term president and a beefed-up foreign representative
-- as a step towards a European superstate which will be less
democratic and take sovereignty away from individual EU states.
Klaus cannot sign the treaty for now, pending a review by
the Constitutional Court.
The court is expected to rule in several weeks, and most
lawyers say it will clear the treaty, given it had earlier
thrown out a complaint similar to the one under discussion.
Fischer said the only possibility he saw for achieving the
exemptions would be at a summit of EU leaders on Oct 29-30.
The government would at the same time demand a guarantee
from Klaus that he would "complete ratification without any
delay" if the treaty is cleared by the court and his condition
is met.
Eurosceptics are hoping Klaus could delay ratification until
a British election, expected in May next year.
The opposition Conservatives, who lead opinion polls, have
promised to hold a referendum on the treaty if it is not
ratified by all EU states by the time they get to power. The
referendum would be a huge risk for the treaty.
(Additional reporting by Jan Korselt; editing by Robin Pomeroy)
