Czech PM attacks moves to revive stalled EU constitution

(PRAGUE) - Czech Premier Mirek Topolanek on Sunday attacked moves to push forward with ratification of the European Union constitution, rejected in referendums by French and Dutch voters in 2005.

Topolanek, whose centre-right government was confirmed in power on Friday, said in an interview on Czech public television that EU member states should push forward with "a new, simpler and more comprehensible agreement".

This, he said, would allow the 27-strong bloc to work better and pave the way for further enlargement.

The Premier's comments come a few days ahead of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's official visit to Prague on January 26. She is expected to sound out Topolanek and the renowned eurosceptic, President Vaclav Klaus, on her call last week for a new EU constitution to be quickly agreed by early 2009.

A "road map" charting how this can be done will be presented by the current German EU presidency by mid year, she added.

Despite the French and Dutch 'no' votes, 18 EU countries have already ratified the treaty with Merkel advocating "preserving the substance" of the original text.

Topolanek's government programme largely sidesteped the EU Constitution question, elements of his rightwing Civic Democratic party share Klaus' scepticism towards Brussels but junior coalition partners, the Christian Democrats, have traditionally had a fervent pro-European stance.