It concerns the problems arising out of the ratification process in the German parliament. Opposition MPs are committing themselves to a legal challenge. At the very least, this should delay ratification - and ideally, it should inspire the people of Ireland to do the right thing in their referendum and save us all!
The second article concerns Polish MPs. It's perhaps a little less encouraging, but basically the opposition leader is now saying that the treaty represents an unacceptable loss of sovereignty for Poland, which of course is true.
Here's an excerpt from the German story (in French):
QUOTE
The Treaty of Lisbon could be stopped in Germany
http://www.solidariteetprogres.org/article3925.html
Published: March 14, 2008 - 15:13
March 13, 2008 (New Solidarity) - In Germany, the parliamentary debate on the treaty of Lisbon started yesterday and already the ratification looks problematic. Linkspartei (Party of the Left), is the only parliamentary group to oppose the treaty on the grounds of the unprecedented militarization of Europe and the deployments with the zone [reference to US missile defence?]. It says that if the treaty is ratified by the Bundetag in April 25th it will immediately launch appeal to the constitutional court – something which Peter Gauweiler, deputy leader of the CSU (Christian Social Union) is also set to do.
The newspaper European Forum says that such a legal move could block the ratification and provokes the fear that the largest Member State can not sign the treaty in time for the offical EU adoption date of January 1, 2009. The article goes on to explain, by quoting Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP, as saying that it's not an exaggeration to to say that this could stop the treaty.
Quoting a further diplomatic source, European Forum underlines will l'embarra in which is German president Horst Koelher "It would be very embarrassing for the President to sign and approve the treaty then find that the judges of the highest legal authority, the constitutional court, say the opposite".
http://www.solidariteetprogres.org/article3925.html
Published: March 14, 2008 - 15:13
March 13, 2008 (New Solidarity) - In Germany, the parliamentary debate on the treaty of Lisbon started yesterday and already the ratification looks problematic. Linkspartei (Party of the Left), is the only parliamentary group to oppose the treaty on the grounds of the unprecedented militarization of Europe and the deployments with the zone [reference to US missile defence?]. It says that if the treaty is ratified by the Bundetag in April 25th it will immediately launch appeal to the constitutional court – something which Peter Gauweiler, deputy leader of the CSU (Christian Social Union) is also set to do.
The newspaper European Forum says that such a legal move could block the ratification and provokes the fear that the largest Member State can not sign the treaty in time for the offical EU adoption date of January 1, 2009. The article goes on to explain, by quoting Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP, as saying that it's not an exaggeration to to say that this could stop the treaty.
Quoting a further diplomatic source, European Forum underlines will l'embarra in which is German president Horst Koelher "It would be very embarrassing for the President to sign and approve the treaty then find that the judges of the highest legal authority, the constitutional court, say the opposite".
And here's the Polish story in full, as found here in English:
QUOTE
March 13, 2008 (LPAC)--In an about-face that sent a shock from Warsaw to Brussels, yesterday, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the opposition PiS party in the Polish national parliament, said that he and his party reject the Lisbon Treaty, because it "cannot be accepted, as it is being interpreted in a way that threatens the sovereignty of some states." As for Poland, it will never render its sovereignty, he said, and called for a renegotiation of the Treaty, to at least yield a preamble that explicitly acknowledges Poland's independence. Kaczynski's move came as a surprise to many, since it was his own (previous) government that negotiated the concessions that made the Treaty "acceptable" for Poland at the EU Lisbon Summit in December last year. The present Prime Minister Donald Tusk reacted by saying he feels tricked, because he had only signed what Kaczynski as his predecessor in office had negotiated, and now he tells everybody that what he negotiated was no good for Poland. Moreover, Kaczynski's PiS party voted for the ratification law when it was debated in the parliament 10 days ago, and passed with an overwhelming majority.
Speaking for the government majority, chief speaker of the parliament Bronislaw Koromowski ruled out any changes in the text of the Treaty, trying to mock Kaczynski with the advice: "if he does not like the treaty anymore, then he should go to his brother and tell him not to sign it." That refers to Lech Kaczynski, who is still the President of Poland, whom many already suspected would not sign the Treaty, even if ratified by the parliament, in the end. For the time being, ratification is not possible, since there is no longer a two-thirds majority, as required, in the parliament.
Speaking for the government majority, chief speaker of the parliament Bronislaw Koromowski ruled out any changes in the text of the Treaty, trying to mock Kaczynski with the advice: "if he does not like the treaty anymore, then he should go to his brother and tell him not to sign it." That refers to Lech Kaczynski, who is still the President of Poland, whom many already suspected would not sign the Treaty, even if ratified by the parliament, in the end. For the time being, ratification is not possible, since there is no longer a two-thirds majority, as required, in the parliament.