Czech leading parties unable to agree on European commissioner

Fischer said he will give politicians some more time to reach agreement. Nevertheless, the government must make the decision on the candidate early next week, he said.

As far as the future Czech commissioner´s portfolio is concerned, Fischer said it could be science and research or the environment. The chance of Czechs to gain the post of EU commissioner for the energy sector, which Prague would be interested in, is minimal, Fischer says in an interview with the daily Hospodarske noviny, from which the paper´s server iHNed.cz cited today.

"The energy sector is one of the rather less realistic portfolia. However, we can discuss the portfolio we hold now (the employment, social affairs and equal opportunities) and there are also portfolia such as science and research or the environment," Fischer told the daily.

It is Czech politicians´ unwillingness to agree on a joint candidate that is to blame for the current situation, he added.

The ODS proposes Alexandr Vondra, former deputy prime minister for European affairs in the previous ODS-led cabinet, the Social Democrats want current Czech EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Vladimir Spidla to continue in the EC.

The Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) have nominated diplomat Pavel Svoboda, former minister and former head of the Government Legislative Council, the Greens (SZ) propose Jan Svejnar, a liberal economist and unsuccessful presidential candidate, and the Communists (KSCM) want their MEP Vladimir Remek, former astronaut, to occupy the post.

Topolanek said the talks would continue until a solution is found.

"If no agreement is reached, we can leave it [the choice of the candidate] up to Prime Minister Fischer," Topolanek said.

Fischer, prime minister of an interim government that is to lead the nation to the elections in May 2010, is trying to make major political forces agree on the future European commissioner.

The government consists of experts who are not members of any political party. Of its 17 members, eight were nominated by the CSSD, six plus the prime minister by the ODS and two by the Green Party.

"There is still certain space left for negotiations...I hope we will come to a reasonable result at the end of the week and will be able to discuss it on the government level early next week and make the final decision," Fischer said.

He would not like the Czech Republic to be the last of the 27 EU countries for another time, he said, alluding to the process of the Lisbon treaty ratification that the Czechs completed on Tuesday as the last in the EU.

Senate chairman Premysl Sobotka (ODS) reportedly threatened after the inconclusive meeting today that if a candidate made it through without the ODS´s consent, the ODS could replace him if it came to power next spring.

Paroubek said Topolanek did not outline such prospect at the meeting. Confirming his words for server iDnes.cz, Topolanek said the ODS has never said this and he personally does not consider this a good idea.

Fischer may nominate Vladimir Dlouhy, industry and trade minister in the early 1990s, for the post of Czech European commissioner unless political parties reach agreement on a candidate, daily Lidove noviny (LN) wrote on Saturday.

The candidature of Dlouhy, who was the most popular politician during his political career, may be approved by most parties, LN wrote. Representatives of the ODS, TOP 09 and the Communists would not be against him, LN wrote.

Topolanek said Dlouhy´s candidacy was not discussed at the meeting with Fischer today.

He said it would be unfortunate if the government took a vote on the commissioner and if the commissioner did not enjoy its clear support.

The ODS previously asserted that it has the right to fill the post of commissioner as it won the EU elections this June.

Paroubek today called on the ODS to support the candidacy of Spidla as there is no risk of Spidla being rejected by the EP. The ODS should minimise the negative effect its senators have caused to the Czech Republic and to the EU by having the Lisbon treaty ratification delayed.

The server Aktualne.cz has written that Svejnar, the Green Party´s favourite candidate for EU commissioner, has gained an order for EC President Jose Barroso. In the period of a week he is to work out a study about the state of unemployment in EU countries.

Svejnar has confirmed to the server that Barroso has entrusted the task to him.

Autor: ČTK
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