* Czech president wants footnote added before signing
* Klaus says will sign if Czech court rejects challenge
* EU Presidency says Klaus request sends wrong message
By Darren Ennis
BRUSSELS, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Czech President Vaclav Klaus
raised a new obstacle to the European Union's Lisbon reform
treaty on Thursday, telling EU president Sweden he wants a
footnote added to the document before signing it into force.
Polish President Lech Kaczynski will sign the treaty on
Saturday, an aide said, leaving Klaus as the only EU state
leader holding out against ratifying the treaty to give the
27-nation bloc more influence in world affairs []
The treaty's backers say failure to secure Klaus's signature
would plunge the EU into crisis, potentially paralysing the bloc
as it tackles a deep economic crisis and power shifts towards
China and other emerging powers. []
"I spoke by phone today with President Klaus ... In order to
sign the treaty, Klaus asked for a footnote of two sentences
concerning, as I understand, the charter of fundamental rights,"
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt told Reuters by
telephone.
Reinfeldt said Klaus wanted his footnote to the charter of
fundamental human rights, which is part of the Lisbon treaty,
adopted by EU leaders.
"I told him this is the wrong message at the wrong time for
the EU. I told him clearly it is his ink on the paper that
counts and I don't want this to delay the treaty going through
as soon as possible," he said.
ALL EYES ON KLAUS
Attention turned to Klaus after Irish voters backed the
treaty last Friday in a second vote after receiving guarantees
on human rights, sovereignty and taxation.
Klaus says the treaty would create a European superstate
that gives too much power to Brussels, and it is not clear
whether he intends to continue resisting the treaty or his new
terms are a delaying or face-saving tactic. []
He could try to delay ratification until Britain holds an
election next year which is expected to be won by the opposition
Conservatives who have said they will hold a referendum on the
treaty if it has not yet been fully ratified. []
Reinfeldt said Klaus had told him he would sign the treaty,
already approved by the Czech parliament, if he received the
additional wording and if the Czech Constitutional Court rejects
a legal challenge to the treaty by a group of senators.
"At least this is a step forward for the EU in that he
(Klaus) was able to clarify his position and what he is asking
for," Reinfeldt said.
European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek will visit Prague
on Friday and is expected to meet Klaus.
EU diplomats familiar with the bloc's legal process said the
Czech government, not Klaus, could ask the EU's 27 leaders to
approve a so-called "political declaration" at a summit this
month which could be attached to the treaty.
This would be similar to the legal guarantees given to
Ireland after it rejected the treaty in June 2008. But any
political declaration could not lead to any reopening or
renegotiation of the treaty, they said.
LACK OF MANDATE?
"Klaus has no mandate under the Czech constitution to
negotiate the treaty. It would be up to Prime Minister Jan
Fischer to make the request," one diplomat told Reuters.
The diplomat said Fischer had not made any such request
during talks with Reinfeldt and European Commission President
Jose Manuel Barroso on Wednesday.
Asked if the presidency was willing to entertain Klaus'
demand for a footnote, Reinfeldt said, "I need his signature on
the paper and I have been asked by my EU partners to make that
happen as soon as possible or by the end of the presidency."
"I was clear this is wrong. I will bring it up with my
colleagues and if he clarifies the wording we can get the EU's
legal experts to assess it," he added.
Reinfeldt said Klaus provided no details of the extra
wording he wants added to the treaty, leaving member states and
the EU's institutions in limbo over Klaus' next move.
"He said we must await the Constitutional Court process
first, then he will clarify. But he is asking for additional
measures, so he should clarify that and that's what I told him,"
Reinfeldt said.
"As I understand, it's concerned to the charter of
fundamental rights. It's a footnote, but he didn't define it."
(Editing by Louise Ireland)
