Referendum probable but not formally decided

Latest News

The Czech parliament's lower house took a first, formal step toward calling a voter referendum on the European Union constitution on June 27. Deputies approved a measure allowing the president to order a general referendum on foreign matters if requested by about 40 per cent of parliament's members or a citizens' petition.

The measure now goes to the upper house, or Senate, which has drafted its own referendum bill and is dominated by anti-constitution members of the government opposition.

The Senate version of the measure would require support from a majority in parliament before the president could call a vote. The opposition has announced to block the further progress of the motion.

Nevertheless, the development indicates that Czech voters could decide about the EU constitution directly. The referendum could be hold as late as 2007.

A referendum on the European constitution could be held no sooner than elections to the Chamber of Deputies in 2006, Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek said after a meeting of government coalition party leaders on June 18. Paroubek added that it would be good if it were held in 18 to 20 months.

Please find a detailed report on the actual situation in the Czech Republic.

Beforehand, Prime Minister Stanislav Gross has announced that he plans to hold a referendum on the Constitution in June 2006, to coincide with the legislative elections. It was already his predecessor Vladimir Spidla who called for a referendum.

The government will submit a bill which enables people to express their will towards the draft EU Constitution.

The referendum might be called in June 2006.

The eurosceptic Czech President Vaclav Klaus has already stated, that he is against the EU constitution. He even did not sign the constitution. Instead by Prime Minister Stanislav Gross signed the document.

According to the media the disagreement between the parties in government and opposition could lead to a situation where it would be the parliament that would ratify the EU Constitution.

The government wishes for the referendum to be held in June 2006 at the same time as the General elections yet the strong opposition party (ODS) rejects this idea and has submitted in the Senate another ad hoc draft law aiming at 2005. The government has recently adopted a new constitutional draft law on referendum. According to this new constitutional law, the referendum on the Constitution that is due to take place in 2006 as initially planned would have a binding legal force.

Read more facts on the ratification.