EU Lisbon Treaty: Little support for Tony Blair
- 00:02:13
- ITN
EU Lisbon Treaty: Little support for Tony Blair
Tony Blair's prospects of becoming the first EU President appear to be fading, with Downing Street admitting defeat is now clear possibility. Informal soundings at the European leaders' summit in Brussels have identified serious objections to the former British Prime Minister's candidacy, which has been endorsed by his successor Gordon Brown. Reservations are said to include concern over Britain's lack of commitment to the EU, with some countries suggesting Europe's top job cannot go to a Brit while the UK remains outside the Eurozone. Meanwhile, the summit appeared poised to clinch the much-needed Czech backing of the Lisbon Treaty, clearing a major hurdle to its ratification and the process of naming an EU president. Delegates approved a UK-style "opt-out" for the Czech Republic from the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights, leaving President Vaclav Klaus under intense pressure to sign up. President Klaus claimed that without his opt-out, the descendants of thousands of ethnic Germans expelled from Czechoslovakia after the Second World War could reclaim their properties. That prospect has been downplayed by EU officials. Just one legal hurdle remains for the treaty, with the Czech Constitutional Court next week expected to throw out tactical treaty objections raised by a group of Czech senators. If the case is rejected, and with the protocol in place, Mr Klaus will have no reason not to sign and discussion will switch to who should fill the new post of "President of Europe".
ITN | October 30, 2009
