France to pass EU presidency torch to Czechs on January 1

December 31, 5:32 PMForeign Policy ExaminerAimee Kligman

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Prague will take over EU presidency 01/01/09

Europe seems a bit uneasy about Prague heading the EU's presidency for the next six months. Especially after such stellar heights reached by Nicolas Sarkozy who, single handedly, seemed to have put Europe very much on the map in the Middle East, in North Africa, in Asia and in Russia. To say he has been peripatetic this year would be an understatement.

So what's the belly ache about Prague? It was not too long ago that the "in" crowd was purporting this the place to see and to be seen. But a hip night life does not a world capital make. Let's examine the facts.

Czech President Václav Klaus has stated, very unfortunately, that the presidency of the EU is for a the most part esthetic, and that it is known that only the powerful European countries control the agenda. The reality on the ground, however, is that all EU members look to the Union president to set the tone as well as provide political leadership. President Klaus had better think quickly before tomorrow comes.

The European press for its part, has responded to this statement by suggesting that when BIG Germany had trouble getting acceptance for its new treaty, it was LITTLE Portugal that stepped up to the plate to produce the Lisbon Treaty. Ergo, size of country no big deal.

What is feared most is that Prague will not be able to lead the EU, as it has had a bit of trouble leading itself, and there is a feud between President Klaus and his prime minister. Concerning the Lisbon Treaty, which it has yet to ratify,  and the EU's most important political party, Prague has yet to define itself as an EU member and act as a EU member. It continues however to look for how the policies of the EU affect Czech interests. That's not a good thing.

With a turbulent world at its doorstep, and an acute financial crisis, Prague cannot afford to worry about its own chicken coop. It still had not adopted the common currency, the Euro. It appears that Klaus is still viewing the EU as "the other". How can European leaders reconcile this fact? Though they cannot rescind the presidency from the Czech Republic because of community rules, they might distill it to its most benign form, so that it cannot damage the other partners.