Hungary to decide on veto on Czech opt-out at EU summit

The Hungarian PM will decide on it on the spot depending on the draft that is still being worked out by the Swedish EU presidency and the Czech Republic, said Balazs, in reaction to a CTK question, at a meeting with partners from Central and East European countries.

He added that Hungarian representatives must first see "the solution."

According to diplomatic sources, Hungarian representatives have already got acquainted with the draft resolution on the Czech opt-out that President Vaclav Klaus demands as his condition for signing the Lisbon treaty to complete its ratification.

Klaus justifies his demand by fears that the Charter might enable German deportees to claim their former property on Czech soil, confiscated from them on the basis of the post-war Benes decrees.

The Benes decrees provided for the confiscation of the property of collaborators, traitors, ethnic Germans and Hungarians, except for those who themselves suffered under the Nazis. They also formed a basis for the transfer of the former groups from Czechoslovakia.

Hungarian media reported on Wednesday that Budapest would oppose any efforts "to directly or indirectly rehabilitate and justify" the Benes decrees at the summit.

The head of the MEPs for the Fidesz Hungarian opposition movement at the same time called on the government not to accept any commitment that would secure an opt-out from the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights "for the Czech Republic and/or Slovakia."

The Czech Republic is the last EU country not to have ratified the Lisbon treaty. The two houses of parliament approved it earlier this year but Klaus's signature is still missing for the ratification to be complete.

Moreover, the Czech Constitutional Court is yet to decide whether the Lisbon treaty is in compliance with the constitution on the basis of a complaint by a group of senators. The court may issue the final ruling on November 3.

Czech PM Jan Fischer said Klaus assured him that he would sign the Lisbon treaty after his condition was fulfilled.

Autor: ČTK
www.ctk.cz