By Martha Moss - 18th February 2009
I would like to congratulate the Czech presidency, as the vote today clearly underscores their willingness to contribute to the ratification process and the success of the new treaty
Hans-Gert Pöttering
Members of the lower house of the Czech parliament have voted to approve the Lisbon treaty.
The Czech Republic, which currently holds the EU presidency, moved a step closer to ratifying the document on Wednesday when MPs in the second chamber voted 125 to 61 in favour of adopting it.
However, the treaty, which is aimed at streamlining the functioning of the EU 27-nation bloc, must also be approved by the upper house of parliament, where a vote is expected in April.
It will also need to be signed by eurosceptic Czech president Vacláv Klaus, who claims the treaty gives too much power to Brussels and that it would undermine national sovereignty. Klaus is expected to address members of the European parliament on Thursday.
European parliament president Hans-Gert Pöttering welcomed the vote, saying he hoped it would result in a successful ratification.
"I would like to congratulate the Czech presidency, as the vote today clearly underscores their willingness to contribute to the ratification process and the success of the new treaty, which is necessary for the European Union to effectively tackle the challenges of the 21st century," he added.
European commission president José Manual Barroso said, "This is an important signal of the parliament's commitment to Europe at a time when the Czech presidency is working with dedication and competence to lead the European Union."
"I hope that the treaty will be approved quickly by the senate so that the ratification process can be finalised."
The treaty must be ratified by all member states before it can take effect. But the document is expected to be put to a second referendum after voters in the Republic of Ireland rejected it in last June.
The chairman of parliament's constitutional affairs committee, Jo Leinen, said the referendum should take place before June's elections so that the changes from the Lisbon treaty can be implemented at the start of the new legislative period.
He said that Wednesday's vote was "an important signal that the EU reform treaty can overcome the last hurdles before the elections to the European parliament in June 2009".
Leinen claimed that the vote would discredit Klaus' eurosceptic approach. "When three out of five of the citizens representatives in a parliament of a member state say 'yes' to Europe, then the 'no' of the state's president has no legitimacy and seems like a single-handed and isolated action," he said.
"There is hope after the voting in the parliament that the senate too will overcome the difficulties towards the ratification of the treaty."
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