Final Word from Monday, May 23, 2005
ODS Chair Miroslav Topolánek told Lidové noviny on Sat. that the draft EU constitution is "shit." He used the English word and said he knew what he was saying. No one who has read the text can vote for if, he said, as long the person is sober. Václav Klaus has said even harsher things (such as comparing the EU to Comecon), but his vocabulary is a bit more refined than Topolánek's. At times, Topolánek seems to be going out of his way to please Klaus. Some members of ODS have suggested that a referendum could be held jointly with parliamentary elections - which would greatly increase the chance of passage - but Topolánek insists that the two votes must be separate. If France or the Netherlands rejects the constitution in the coming days, the issue could lose its significance. And we might never learn whether Topolánek is truly for or against the "S" document. [Czech Republic Holland President LN European Union]