Today the Czech constitutional court dismissed the objection against the Lisbon Treaty and declared the Treaty constitutional.

Commenting on the ruling, Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle issued the following statement today (3 November) on the margins of his inaugural visit to Luxembourg and Belgium:

”I welcome this unequivocal ruling by the Czech constitutional court.It clears the path for the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty in the Czech Republic.This is a good day for Europe.

I assume that now the ratification process in the Czech Republic will be completed quickly. Europe needs the Lisbon Treaty to gain, at last, a new capability to act.

It is high time to leave the discussion on internal reform behind us.Now the task at hand is shaping good, specific policies for the benefit of Europe’s citizens on the basis of the new treaty.“