Doesn't look like the Czechs will come to Cameron's aid

Reports coming out of the Czech republic today suggest that if the Irish vote Yes, the Dave will not be able to rely on Vaclav Klaus to stop the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. At this point then his "changed circumstaces" come into play, instead we will have the 'do nothing to jepardise our relationship with Europe' style of Dave, the one that also said "I want us to be in the European Union" yesterday.

Though the Swedes, who hold teh EU's rotating Presidency wanted to get it all done and dusted - and Mr Blair who wants to be President, but that just ain't going to happen. According to the European Voice today,

Ratification of the Lisbon treaty will not be complete by the end of the year, even if the Irish vote ‘Yes' in a referendum tomorrow (2 October).

The Swedish government, which is preparing for a meeting of EU leaders at the end of October, is now resigned to forming the new Commission without the Lisbon Treaty.

These comments are supported by the Ceske Noviny,

"Within two weeks we will have stances of all parties involved and we must assess them. In any case we do not want to delay the procedure and we want to make decision as soon as possible," said Rychetsky, who is charged with the case as its judge- rapporteur."

Rychestsky is the Chairman of the Constitutional Court who will decide on the legality in Czech Law of the Lisbon Treaty. As soon as possible is being treated as sometime near Christmas, but not in time for the Swedish to take the credit.

Vaclav Klaus himself argues that he,

"intends to wait for the ruling of the Constitutional Court which a group of Czech senators has again asked to examine whether the document is in harmony with the Czech legal order.

In the article entitled "Renewed Czech Threat to Lisbon Treaty Ratification" the weekly says it might take the Czech Constitutional Court weeks or months to deal with the complaint against the treaty and it is unlikely to issue its ruling this year".

But that means that the chance that the Court will delay until May 6th just to help out Dave Cameron is ludicrous. Klaus has promised to take the advice of the Court. The Polish President has promised to ratify if Ireland does.

And Germany, Dave's last hope? Germany will ratify when everybody else has, the next day probably, just to make a point.