The Czech’s not for Bouncing

I’ve been perusing a few blogs from the right-leaning and libertarian part of the spectrum this morning – well, someone has to do it – and have found a strange absence in the coverage of one story: that the Czech President, Vaclav Klaus, has decided to dig his heels in and not ratify the Lisbon Treaty.

And neither could I find the story in a quick trawl of the Beeb website, although I’ll pass on the conspiracy theory angle so beloved of the froth merchants. But, once again, I digress. The Irish have now ratified Lisbon, following the recent second Referendum, and the Poles have followed suit. So the only country left on the ratification roadshow is the Czech Republic.

Klaus, whatever his intentions, is clearly playing hard to get, not returning calls and otherwise being out of town. But in his country, the President has to say yes, even though Lisbon has been through the legislature and signed off. What pressure may be being brought to bear on him within his own country and from elsewhere in the EU will bring hours of harmless fun for those of a conspiracy theory bent.

And where better to start than with one blogger who is on the case? Step forward Dan, Dan the Oratory Man, who has penned a priceless post on the matter. Hannan, in characteristic style, tells of dark plotting – though on this we have to take him at his word – and then goes off into ranting and name-calling. If only he were to put his argument calmly and rationally, laying out the facts, he might be credible away from his fan base.

Meanwhile, Klaus is still not returning calls. But, of course, the stand-off cannot carry on indefinitely: expect push to come to shove by the end of the month.