The Czech Social Democratic Opposition rejects the mission in Afghanistan

(B2) The Social Democratic Party (CSSD), the main opposition party in the Czech Republic, will not support the foreign missions of the Czech army in 2009. This was confirmed on Wednesday by party leader Jiří Paroubek tells us the CTK press agency. According to him, the government which declares itself to be in the majority cannot ask the opposition parties to replace the deputies of the government parties. Lubomír Zaorálek, Social Democratic Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, even rejected the assertion by Karel Schwarzenberg, the Foreign Minister, that "the Czech mission in Afghanistan is in the interest of the (Czech) state )".

This position - already stated in the past - comes against a background of tougher discussion around the ratification of two international treaties by the Czech Republic: the Lisbon Treaty and the anti-missile shield. While the deal was simple: between the opposition (wishing the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty) and the majority (wishing the ratification of the anti-missile treaty), it was give and take: you ratify "my" text, I ratify " yours". Yes, but... while the anti-missile shield ratification passed in the Senate, the agreement broke down in the Chamber of Deputies on the Lisbon Treaty. The majority apparently did not find the votes within it to vote for the Lisbon Treaty in the Chamber of Deputies (120 votes out of 200 are needed) and it was the opposition that had to provide the missing votes. With a risk: that the text passes narrowly. Everyone therefore decided to postpone the text at the beginning of February. Which makes it look bad, not far from the assumption of office of the Czech presidency of the EU.

The social democratic opposition has decided to show its bad mood. Hence this outing on the Czech foreign missions - moreover little appreciated by public opinion. As for the ratification of the anti-missile shield in the Chamber of Deputies. We are awaiting its report. The Czech Republic, and the ruling ODS party, is playing with fire, however. The Obama administration might not be in a great hurry to give an immediate follow-up to the anti-missile shield: on the one hand, for internal strategic reasons (the financing of the American anti-missile agency, its very objectives could be reviewed and redefined, all part of a possible redefinition of American defence); on the other hand, the new administration might want to renew ties with Russia, at least try to renew ties in the first months. Positioning oneself from the outset, categorically, on the anti-missile shield could require a rapid arm wrestling. By delaying the ratification of the anti-missile shield, the Czechs risk delaying it for a few years...

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

Photo: Topolanek (Prime Minister) Schwarzenberg (Foreign Affairs) Vondra (European Affairs) in the Chamber of Deputies (CTK)