UPDATE 2-Czech president demands EU treaty exemption

                                
 * Czech President Klaus wants opt-out on rights charter
                                
 * Klaus says fears post-war property claims 
                                
 * Klaus will be last EU leader to sign Lisbon treaty
                                
 
(Releads with Klaus comments)
                                
 By Jan Korselt
                                
 PRAGUE, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Czech President Vaclav Klaus set
out his terms on Friday for signing the EU's Lisbon reform
treaty, demanding an exemption to protect Prague from post-war
property claims and safeguard the sovereignty of the judiciary.
                                
 Klaus's demands further complicate the European Union's
efforts to implement reforms to give the bloc more global clout,
even though he will be the only EU leader who has not ratified
the treaty once the Polish president signs it on Saturday.
                                
 Klaus said the Czech government should follow the example of
Britain and Poland, which won opt-outs on the application of
some of the provisions of a Charter of Fundamental Rights which
will be given binding force when the Lisbon treaty is ratified.
                                
 "Before ratification, the Czech Republic must, additionally
at least, negotiate a similar exemption," Klaus told reporters.
"I believe that this exemption can be resolved quickly."
                                
 Klaus made his comments during a visit to Prague by European
Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, the latest effort by EU
leaders to secure Klaus's signature. [ID:nL8351769]
                                
 Klaus says the treaty would create a European superstate
that gives too much power to Brussels, and has refused to ratify
it even though Czech parliament has approved it. [ID:nL8335823]
                                
 Another big obstacle to the treaty, which would create the
post of a long-term EU president and a more powerful foreign
policy chief and streamline decision-making, was removed when
Irish voters backed it in a referendum last Friday.
                                
 
                                
 PROPERTY CLAIMS
                                
 Klaus said he feared that claimants of property, confiscated
from some 3 million Germans expelled from Czechoslovakia after
World War Two, could circumvent the Czech judicial system under
the Lisbon treaty and go directly to the highest EU court.
                                
 "This will allow (claimants) to circumvent Czech courts and
place, for example, property claims by people expelled after
World War Two directly at the European Court of Justice," he
said.
                                
 Poland's desire for an opt-out was also prompted partly by
fears of German property claims, as well as by efforts to
safeguard conservative family laws. [ID:nL975785]
                                
 Britain did not want provisions such as a broadly defined
right to strike -- the subject of bitter labour conflicts in the
1980s -- to be imposed on it from outside. 
                                
 French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has ruled out any
change to the treaty to accommodate Klaus.
                                
 EU diplomats familiar with the bloc's legal process said
only 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.
  (Writing by Jan Lopatka; Editing by Timothy Heritage)