Czech PM Topolanek says the government can revisit the matter at any time Courtesy of CBW/Jan Trestik

The Czech government last week withdrew treaties regarding its half of the proposed US anti-missile shield from the process of parliamentary ratification in the face of an opposition threat to vote them down.

The move underscored the parliamentary weakness of the center-right government. It was described as a temporary measure, but could delay ratification of the treaties for months or longer.

“This does not mean we are giving up on the ratification process,” Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said in a televised address. “We can return this material to the lower house at any time,” he continued.

The government’s hand was forced by the opposition, which capitalized on the fact that a number of governing MPs were absent from the lower house of Parliament last Tuesday. Opposition MPs might have forced a vote on the issue, scuppering the government’s plans.

Topolanek also said that his government would revisit the matter after talks with the US administration and after the NATO summit in France and Germany. The summit is scheduled for April 3-4 and US President Obama is to meet EU leaders in Prague on April 5.

The US president has been much cooler on the missile shield than his predecessor, but the Czech government has maintained its support for the plan, which would see a radar base installed southwest of Prague. The plan would also forge closer ties between the Czech Republic and the US, but its ratification has been delayed several times by the government’s lack of majority in the lower house.

The treaties have already been approved by the Senate, where the government has a solid majority. But it only has 96 out of 200 votes in the house, while the opposition has 97 votes. This has left the balance of power in the hands of a few independents.

The opposition planned a no-confidence vote for this week, and this is seen as a crucial test for the government. (Reuters)