Czech prime minister Mirek Topolanek urged his ruling right-wing party today to support the Lisbon treaty even though, he said, it was imperfect.
Mr Topolanek, who is fighting a challenge from the eurosceptics for leadership of his Civic Democrat Party and the government, told a party congress that the treaty would take away national veto rights in some cases and raise the power of big EU states.
But, he added, no positive changes in Europe were possible without the treaty.
"The Lisbon treaty does not solve the real problems of the European Union - budget reform, common policies, further enlargements, completing market liberalisation," Mr Topolanek said.
"But until its adoption, there is no will to reform anything."
The Czech Republic, which takes over the EU presidency in January, is the only EU member not to have voted on the treaty which is meant to streamline decision-making in the bloc whose ranks have swelled to 27 members in the past years.
Mr Topolanek suffered a blow when leftist opposition thrashed the government in a regional election in October. But he has since bounced back as a strong favourite as party members see little alternative to his minority three-party cabinet.
Mr Topolanek's political rival for ODS and government leadership, Prague mayor Pavel Bem, has called for rejection of the Lisbon treaty. The leadership election is scheduled for tomorrow.
The government hopes to complete the parliamentary ratification process of the treaty early next year.
President Vaclav Klaus, who opposes any deeper EU integration, gave up his honorary party chairmanship at the congress because what he said was a shift in the party's policies into the centre.
"This is not a policy I had founded and led the ODS with for many years," he said.
Reuters