The Czech Republic will propose to its European partners that the
ratification of the EU Constitution should continue but that the whole
process should be delayed in the light of the French rejection of the
treaty. Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek said on Wednesday that his three
party coalition, which strongly backs the treaty, had given him a mandate
to seek an extension of the ratification process at a summit of European
leaders on June 16th. Mr. Paroubek said that the Czech government would
press ahead with its information campaign on the EU Constitution despite
calls from the Christian Democrats, one of the smaller parties in
government, that it should be suspended, pending a decision by the EU
leadership.