More guts than Gordon
Polish President Lech Kaczynski compounded the problems facing the European Union on the first day of France's presidency of the bloc yesterday, saying he will not sign the Union's reform treaty for now. Kaczynski said it would be "pointless" signing the treaty following its rejection by Irish voters in a referendum on June 12. The treaty, intended to overhaul the bloc's institutions, needs the backing of all 27 member states to come into force. Kaczynski, a Eurosceptic, helped negotiate the treaty but his party is now in opposition. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said ratification of the Lisbon Treaty was in Poland's interest. Kaczynski's comments highlighted the problems facing President Nicolas Sarkozy at the start of France's six-month tenure of the EU's rotating presidency. Asked by the daily Dziennik if he would sign the treaty-the last step needed for full ratification in Poland-he said: "This is now pointless. But it is difficult to say how this whole thing will end." Sarkozy said he still believed Kaczynksi would ultimately honour a pledge that Poland would ratify the treaty. "He (Kaczynski) is a politically committed man. He is a man who has never broken his word, and who made a commitment in front of his 26 (European) partners. I do not doubt for one minute that this commitment will be kept," Sarkozy told Poland's prime minister, Tusk, said the treaty should be ratified. "We are convinced the treaty's ratification is in Poland's best interest ... It is hard to accept a situation where Poland would be put in the same position as Ireland, a very troublesome position," Tusk told a news conference. snip http://tinyurl.com/5bkh3a
Polish President Lech Kaczynski compounded the problems facing the European Union on the first day of France's presidency of the bloc yesterday, saying he will not sign the Union's reform treaty for now. Kaczynski said it would be "pointless" signing the treaty following its rejection by Irish voters in a referendum on June 12. The treaty, intended to overhaul the bloc's institutions, needs the backing of all 27 member states to come into force. Kaczynski, a Eurosceptic, helped negotiate the treaty but his party is now in opposition. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said ratification of the Lisbon Treaty was in Poland's interest. Kaczynski's comments highlighted the problems facing President Nicolas Sarkozy at the start of France's six-month tenure of the EU's rotating presidency. Asked by the daily Dziennik if he would sign the treaty-the last step needed for full ratification in Poland-he said: "This is now pointless. But it is difficult to say how this whole thing will end." Sarkozy said he still believed Kaczynksi would ultimately honour a pledge that Poland would ratify the treaty. "He (Kaczynski) is a politically committed man. He is a man who has never broken his word, and who made a commitment in front of his 26 (European) partners. I do not doubt for one minute that this commitment will be kept," Sarkozy told Poland's prime minister, Tusk, said the treaty should be ratified. "We are convinced the treaty's ratification is in Poland's best interest ... It is hard to accept a situation where Poland would be put in the same position as Ireland, a very troublesome position," Tusk told a news conference. snip http://tinyurl.com/5bkh3a