Klaus, Kaczynski at odds with Sarkozy over EU's Lisbon impasse

(WARSAW) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy's ambition to find a quick fix to the crisis sparked by Ireland's veto of the European Union's Lisbon Treaty is facing stiff resistance by the Polish and Czech presidents.

Straight off the bat at the July 1 start of France's six-month presidency of the European Union, both leaders of the two 2004 EU entrants made it clear the Irish "No" was not the only problem Paris was facing to get the Lisbon Treaty, a crucial reform package for the 27-member bloc, back on track.

Poland's conservative President Lech Kaczynski has said he won't give the treaty his seal of approval so long as Ireland didn't change its mind. Populist eurosceptic Czech President Vaclav Klaus is lobbying hard for Prague's parliament to scupper ratification.

Their positions cast further doubt on the chances for the treaty, rejected by Irish voters in a June 12 referendum, to gain the unanimous approval of the EU's 27 member states which it must have to take effect.

"If Ireland makes another decision -- but not under pressure, and without changing its constitution -- in the same way as the first, then Poland will not place a block on the treaty," Kaczynski told AFP in an interview Wednesday.

The Polish leader also termed the treaty, meant to streamline decision-making in a bloc which has grown from 15 to 27 members since 2004, as "pointless".

A more radical approach is taken by Klaus who would be happy to see the death of the Lisbon Treaty -- something he sees as an undesirable move towards a more integrated Europe.

"I hope that the Constitutional Court or the Senate will not allow the adoption of Lisbon here," Klaus said in an interview Thursday with the Czech Lidove daily.

In practice, both presidents have little power as both countries are parliamentary democracies where the decision-making resides primarily with the government.

However, both leaders must give their final seal of approval for ratification to take effect. No measures are in place to overcome their eventual refusal to sign.

In Poland, both the upper and lower houses of parliament ratified the treaty in April.

In the Czech Republic, Klaus is counting on his party faithful in the Civic Democratic Party, who command a majority in the Senate, to scupper the ratification process.

He has, however, refused to specify whether he will copy Kaczynski should both houses of the Czech parliament ratify the treaty.

At the moment, Prague's ratification process is blocked while the Constitutional Court verifies whether Lisbon conforms to the Czech constitution.

Both presidents, known for their mutual admiration, are aware they will be pressured by the EU's largest members, especially France which is determined to find a solution to the impasse during its six-month stint as EU president.

"I expect heavy pressure to create an EU a la Francaise. Our position is different out of necessity and we must make an effort for the EU not to develop in a manner the French and the rejected Lisbon (treaty) are attempting to impose," Klaus said.

On Tuesday, the first day of France's EU presidency, Nicolas Sarkozy urged Kaczynski to ratify the text which the Polish leader himself had endorsed at the EU summit last December which finalised the treaty.

"Pressure sometimes has the opposite effect from what's expected," Kaczynski told AFP Wednesday, refusing further comment on Sarkozy's words.

Having become accustomed to regular double-headed battles with fellow EU leaders when his identical twin Jaroslaw was prime minister -- until he lost office in a snap election last October -- Lech Kaczynski is already well seasoned in EU in-fighting.

He said he was ready to face other EU leaders at an October summit, where Poland's liberal Prime Minister Donald Tusk, an EU-friendly politician whose government fully endorsed ratification, wants him to face the music.