The Greens chairman Martin Bursik and Dzamila Stehlikova (Greens), minister for human rights and minorities, said in their press release that Klaus's veto is an attack on the government policy and its pro-European orientation. The anti-discrimination law is required by the European Union. "The vetoing of the bill returns us a large step back within European integration and throws a shadow on our effort to cooperate within the EU," Bursik and Czech minister expects start of new biofuel generation in 4 years ...
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Czech Christian Democrat leader ready to re-enter cabinet - press ... Stehlikova write in their joint statement. They write that the Czech Republic faces EU sanctions over the absence of the law, and that Czech citizens have a lower standard of protection against discrimination than other EU citizens. The Czech Republic should have passed the bill before it entered the EU in 2004 and it is the sole of the 27 EU member states not to have it. Stehlikova told today that the Czech Republic had not been punished for the absence of the law only thanks to that the bill was already in parliament and was on its good path to approval. In the joint press release with Bursik, she said the law is a priority of the government and the promise to pass it is part of the government coalition agreement. The bill was passed by the votes of 111 out of 170 deputies present.
Some rightist deputies, however, echo the opinion of Klaus, honorary chairman of the senior ruling Civic Democrats (ODS), that it is redundant if not right detrimental, and they say it is an evil forced on Czechs by the EU. The left says the anti-discrimination law is important, but that the government submitted a toothless bill that does not provide sufficient protection from discrimination. That is why a number of Social Democrat deputies did not support it.
(Ceske Noviny)
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