Czech Senate Sets Lisbon Treaty Vote For May 6-7

Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, who signed the treaty, has said he expected the Senate to approve the document.

The Czech parliament's upper house will vote on the European Union's Lisbon treaty at a May 6-7 session, a spokesman said on Thursday, in what is widely seen as a tight vote after the government's collapse last month.

The treaty, which is intended to streamline decision-making in the bloc and give it a long-term president, must be adopted by all 27 EU member states to take effect.

Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, who signed the treaty, has said he expected the Senate to approve the document despite the fall of his centre-right minority cabinet. The collapse in a no-confidence vote embarrassed the country which holds the rotating six-month EU presidency.

The treaty is opposed by a sizeable eurosceptic faction in Topolanek's ruling Civic Democrat Party, which is concerned it would take away too much national sovereignty through provisions that change decision-making on a number of issues to a majority vote rather than unanimity among all EU states.

The fall of Topolanek's administration raised fears that some Civic Democrats would feel less inclined to be loyal to the cabinet and support the treaty. But several Civic Democrat Senators said they would support the treaty, and others may abstain to let the document pass [ID:nLV680973].

The likelihood of ratification has also been helped by Topolanek's insistence that approving the Lisbon treaty was a price worth paying for European integration, as well as fears that a "No" vote would further tarnish the country's reputation within the EU bloc.

His cabinet is due to leave office on May 9, to be replaced by a technocratic cabinet that will lead the country to an early election planned for October.

A three-fifths majority is needed in the 81-seat Senate if the treaty is to be ratified. With mainstream leftist and centrist Senators in favour, seven votes are needed from the 36-strong Civic Democrat faction. Even if approved by the Czech Senate, the treaty may still face a court challenge and will also need to be signed by strongly eurosceptic President Vaclav Klaus, who has deeply opposed the document.

Ireland is the only country that rejected the treaty in a referendum, but plans a new vote later this year. The treaty still needs to be signed by the Polish president and faces a constitutional court challenge in Germany.