Poll: 53 percent of Czechs would vote for Lisbon Treaty

CzechNews
5. 10. 2009 14:09
44 percent of respondents believe that not signing the document is harmful to the country
Sickle and hammer used to a symbol of an undemocratic rule of the Communists.
Sickle and hammer used to a symbol of an undemocratic rule of the Communists. | Foto: Reuters

Prague - If it were up to the Czechs, they would sign the Lisbon Treaty. The latest poll held by SANEP agency shows that four in ten Czechs would vote for the reform pact.

Out of 4320 respondents asked online between October 1 - 3, 53 percent would say Yes to the Treaty. 44 percent of them believe that not signing the document is harmful to the country.

The ratification of the document is presently on hold being scrutinized by the Czech Constitutional Court. It is the second time the Court has to deal with the document.

Václav Klaus, a fierce critic of the European Union, is currently waiting for the Court ruling, which is expected to be in favor of the Lisbon treaty, many analysts say.

What will change with the Lisbon Treaty?

  • streamlines the decision making process - a so called qualified majority vote instead of unanimity
  • creates a new head of Europe
  • creates a new post of foreign minister for the all the member states
  • will replace the Treaty of Nice which took effect in 2003

The Czech government said on Friday that it would not put pressure on Klaus at the moment.

The Czech EU membership is viewed as positive by 63 percent of the respodents. Among the EU supporters are mainly young people and businessmen.

After Friday's massive Irish Yes to the Treaty, a group of 250-300 people gathered in front of the Prague Castle to support president Klaus in his opposition to the pact.

The crowd carried signs saying "Long Live Klaus", "We don't want any bans from EU here", and "EU - the Fourth Reich". There was also a banner displaying a sickle and hammer encircled with yellow stars, a clear reference to the symbol of the Communist one-party rule and the EU.

"There will never be another referendum EU," Klaus told the crowd. "The British people should have done something earlier, it is too late now," he said later in an interview for BBC World Service.


 

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