The Czech republic in the past six months helped to end a severe EU gas crisis and to ease Ireland's Lisbon treaty problem. But its cack-handed diplomacy and internal battles risk it going down as "the worst EU presidency in history."
With hundreds of thousands of Bulgarians and Slovaks left without heat in a freezing January, the then Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek flew to Kiev and Moscow to broker talks and negotiate the deployment of EU monitors at pumping stations.
The m...
Enjoy access to all articles and 25 years of archives, comment and gift articles. Become a member for as low as €1,75 per week.
Already a member? LoginAndrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.
Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.