Understanding Klaus

The obstacles that surrounded the Czech ratification process of the Lisbon Treaty should not be understood as proof of the strength of Czech euroscepticism –in fact the opposite is true, argues Mats Braun of the Institute of International Relations in Prague. The Czech political elite are becoming more pro-European, partly as a result of the increased interaction with their European counterparts and EU officials, not least during the preparations for and the organisation of the Czech Council Presidency. The problems of ratifying the LT in the country should be seen as an attempt by an ever-shrinking part of the elite who resist socialisation, to make a final imprint on the future of Europe.