Perhaps
they just needed to have more confidence in their economic recovery:
March 26 (Bloomberg) -- The collapse of the Czech government threatened a new setback for the European Union’s stalled governing treaty, distracting the bloc’s leadership just as President Barack Obama presses for bolder European steps to confront the recession.
Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek is set to tender his resignation today after losing a March 24 no-confidence vote, raising a new hurdle to passage of the treaty by lawmakers in Prague. A setback there may undercut a referendum in Ireland, the only other country that still hasn’t ratified it.
The defeat also hamstrung the Czech government midway through its six-month EU presidency, opening a political vacuum in the run-up to European Parliament elections and a battle over top EU appointments in June.
Naturally, this does not hamper the normal operating-procedure of the EU in any way whatsoever. Maybe. Probably.
Czech President Vaclav Klaus, 67, a self-professed EU “dissident,” will pick a new prime minister or dissolve the parliament if efforts to form a government fail. Klaus said on Feb. 19 he was “not ready to answer” whether he will give his final approval to the treaty if it makes it through the Senate.
I'm sure this turn of events is breaking hearts in Ireland at this very moment.
It seems so melodramatic when they call it a "collapse" of government. In fact everyone voted nicely and nothing exploded. No one is bleeding. "Collapse" makes it sound like a bridge collapsed and twelve SUVs are at the bottom of a river, drivers presumed dead.
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly not "collapsing" the way Iceland is collapsing (which, due to its geographic idiosyncrasies, is taking it worse that it would were it not so isolated), but it's also far from placid. The massive centralization efforts in the EU-influenced areas on the continent may cause it to descend more slowly into financial ruin, like the United States, but the fundamental problem remains: they continue to implement strategies that exacerbate the crisis, and the acceleration factor with each attempt will continue to grow.
ReplyDeleteGive it time. They're likely to make a real fustercluck of it before it picks up again.
"Collapse" makes it sound like a bridge collapsed and twelve SUVs are at the bottom of a river, drivers presumed dead.
ReplyDeleteBased on the way that SUV drivers often drive around here in Northern Virginia, I'd call that a good start.
When I was in Prague (2 1/2 years ago) the government was "collapsed". They do this often. This is one of the first times in history that they are ruling themselves, and I think they like to have fun with it while it lasts.
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