Strasbourg, 09/04/2003 (Agence Europe) - Speaking to reporters in Strasbourg on Wednesday, Czech deputy prime minister Petr Mares and the European Parliament's rapporteur on the Czech Republic, Jürgen Schröder (CDU) downplayed the relatively weak EP vote for the Czech Republic during the plenary vote on the Accession Treaty, due to the abstention of German MEPs (see page 4).
Jürgen Schröder said while there might be some disappointment, it was only a drop in the ocean, echoing Mares' remarks that it was not a football league. The Czech minister said that the result of the vote would have no impact on the scheduled referendum in the Czech Republic. Recent polls suggest 75 to 80% of Czechs will vote for accession, he said, adding that as Commissioner Verheugen had said, in thirty years time nobody would remember the EP vote.
While saying that he is "not criticising anyone", Mr Schröder not only noted that the Czech government has not given the signs expected by the European Parliament (regarding the Benes Decrees), but also said he felt that, from the parliamentary point of view, the issue is legally settled and is not an obstacle to accession. He acknowledged that "if the Czech Republic had given a clear signal, then the result of the vote would not have been what it was". Petr Mares regretted, for his part, that relations with one Member State, Germany, had dominated the debate.
European Parliament Plenary Session