January a new EU President will take his turn in the rotation. It will be Czech president Vaclav Klaus .It will be the 1st time the EU will be run by a former Soviet-block nation and the NY Slimes is sounding the warning bells .
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/world/europe/25klaus.html?_r=2&oref=slogin

Klaus is a colorful person to say the least. He has compared Europe of today to the post WWII Europe that caved into the demands of Hitler in 1938 . He has called the EU presidency “insignificant”. He opposed the Treaty of Lisbon because he argues it will strip countries of sovereignty..
EUROPA - Treaty of Lisbon (http://europa.eu/lisbon_treaty/index_en.htm)

He is fiercily pro-capitialism ,extolling free market virtues,and helped turn the Czech Republic into one of the most successful economies from the former Eastern bloc. Klaus is well-known for challenging the folly of central government planning and interventionism.

He has been a big opponent of the hysteria over global warming and has written a book about it.
Amazon.com: Blue Planet in Green Shackles: Vaclav Klaus, Fred L. Smith Jr.: Books (http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Green-Shackles-Vaclav-Klaus/dp/B001A3W3BK)

He has called the Goracle an 'Apostle of Arrogance '.

All of this I add to the plus side of the ledger. However ;he is too much of Russophile for my liking although I think he considers it mostly for expanded trade and economic ties.

If this is true Europe should have a fun few months. But my question is this for people more familiar with the EU. The Presidency of the Czech Republic is largely a ceremonial position. So why would Klaus rise to the EU Presidency instead of PM Mirek Topolanek ?

Jolly old Vaclav Klaus cracks me up ! Now he refuses to fly the EU flag over Prague Castle which is infuriating the Eurocrats .

Nicolas Sarkozy attacks Czech refusal to fly EU flag - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/3796547/Nicolas-Sarkozy-attacks-Czech-refusal-to-fly-EU-flag.html)

The row exploded when a delegation of Euro-MPs sarcastically presented Mr Klaus with the 12-starred flag, during a visit on Dec 5, knowing that he had ruled out flying the flag over Prague Castle.

He was especially angered when Dany Cohn-Bendit, a former 1968 student radical and the Franco-German leader of Green Euro-MPs, told him: "I don't care about your opinions"...

"The manner in which Cohn-Bendit demanded that President Klaus fly the EU flag over his castle could easily have been done by a German official of over 70 years ago or a Soviet official of 20 years ago," he said.

"No doubt they think that Buckingham Palace should fly the EU flag to show its dominium."

I love it, this should be fun.

I like the guy. Anyone that likes to piss off Sarkozy is all right in my book.

According to the transcript, there was a dispute between president Klaus and Irish MEP Brian Crowley, too. "By meeting Mr. Ganley upon your state visit of Ireland, you offended the Irish people," said Crowley to president Klaus. "He [Ganley] did not prove where his finances behind the campaign came from. It is an utmost insult for the Irish to meet someone who has not been elected. I just want to inform you how the Irish feel about this," he added.

Klaus responded: "If Mr. Crowley speaks of an insult to the Irish people, then I must say that the biggest insult to the Irish people is not to accept the result of the Irish referendum. In Ireland I met somebody who represents a majority in his country. You, Mr. Crowley, represent a view which is in minority in Ireland. That is a tangible result of the referendum.. "

To that Crowley replied: "With all respect, Mr. President, you will not tell me what the Irish think. As an Irishman, I know it best."

Send a donation to LIBERTAS in care of Declan Ganley.