Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 20 August 2009

Lisbon stalls in Munich

Published on 20 August 2009 at 12:31
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 20 August 2009

Cover

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports that the Bavarian Christian democrats of the CSU (Christian Social Union) are blocking the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. This is despite the fact that the party had voiced its approval for an 18 August agreement between the federal government and the Länder (German regions) on a law to accompany the treaty, which will require the German parliament to participate in EU decisions concerning Germany. The law was requested by the Constitutional Court in June when it gave a green light to the treaty, which will have to be ratified before general elections on 27 September.

According to FAZ, the CSU now wishes to impose two conditions: 1) that the treaty will only apply within the limits authorized by the Constitutional Court, and 2) that the German government and parliament will have the right to contest decisions taken by Brussels before the Constitutional Court if the EU institutions overstep their mandate.

Receive the best of European journalism straight to your inbox every Thursday
Tags

Was this article useful? If so we are delighted!

It is freely available because we believe that the right to free and independent information is essential for democracy. But this right is not guaranteed forever, and independence comes at a cost. We need your support in order to continue publishing independent, multilingual news for all Europeans.

Discover our subscription offers and their exclusive benefits and become a member of our community now!

Are you a news organisation, a business, an association or a foundation? Check out our bespoke editorial and translation services.

Support independent European journalism

European democracy needs independent media. Join our community!

On the same topic