Good cop, bad cop

Václav Klaus declared yesterday that he'd prefer that no EU Constitution be passed. He generally avoids speaking so bluntly about his inner feelings on the EU. He still refuses, for example, to say how he voted on accession. He told the BBC's HardTalk last month that accession is now a non-issue and that his task is to make sure the CR doesn't "disappear as an invisible partner in the EU structures." By stressing the importance of the EU's future voting structure, Vladimír Špidla's cabinet is adopting a similar stance. Špidla barely commented on Klaus' remark yesterday. It's actually convenient for Špidla to have Klaus barking at home as the CR enters the final stages of negotiations on the Constitution. Špidla can tell his EU colleagues that if Klaus isn't happy with the way the talks turn out, Klaus will use his influence to turn Czech voters against the Constitution. European Union World