The Czech Republic, or rather its Eurosceptic President Vaclav Klaus, has really put the cat amongst the pigeons.

European Union leaders are gathering in Brussels for a crucial summit that was supposed to dot the I’s and cross the T’s of the Lisbon Treaty. Well, it seems like the summit might actually pan out to be one of the more mundane ones.

Looking on the Brightside though, Climate Change and Illegal Immigration are also on the agenda for discussion, two issues which are particularly relevant to Malta, so on a local level, it will not be a waste of time.

The Czech President has caused much chagrin in the corridors of Brussels with his decision not to sign the treaty, which has already been passed through the senate.

His decision to postpone the signing came as a result (excuse?) of a petition by a group of militant senators to the Czech Constitutional Court in which they claimed that the treaty would violate the said Czech Constitution.

On Tuesday, it was announced that the court would adjourn to next week before pronouncing a decision. This adjournment was made in full knowledge that the upcoming Brussels Summit would be, so to speak, left without a leg to stand on.

One is sure that our leaders will find worthwhile things to discuss and decide on and Malta should use the hiatus to push forward more discussion on the immigration pact.

But as we have already said, it is more than likely to be a non event.

The Czech Republic and its judicial system should have at least tried to push forward the hearing with urgency, but perhaps it was all by design.

This means that, at more expense to the taxpayer, another summit will have to be held next month to deal with the Lisbon issue. This all seems to contradict another issue on the EU’s agenda – the financial crisis.

While this newspaper understands that the impasse was created by the Czechs, is it ethical to be discussing the global recession, only to then have a wasted summit to be followed by an additional one?

Someone has to pay for it and, at the end of the day, it is each and every European Union citizen that will be paying for it. They will not only be paying for it in tax money, but also in lost opportunities that passed by simply because of the Czech calamity.

It is also ironic to note that while the EU is committed to becoming more efficient and transparent through the implementation of the treaty, the status quo allows for such a hold up as the one we are witnessing today.

The European Commission has been particularly patient with the Czech Republic, but as President José Manuel Barroso put it, “even patience has its limits”. The EU cannot afford for this treaty to travel down the same path as the failed European Constitution. It would spell disaster and credibility would plummet. Another issue to bear in mind is that the UK’s Conservative Party have already said that they will put the matter to referendum if it is not enacted before it is returned to government – a situation that seems a foregone conclusion. We will wait and see. This newspaper hopes that the government will really grasp the bull by the horns and put all its energies into discussing the immigration problem.