European Union – The Czech Presidency: Santa Klaus is Coming to Town

At the best of times, Czech President Vaclav Klaus does not inspire feelings of warmth and camaraderie in Brussels. The fact his country is about to take up the European Union's revolving presidency at a time of global financial crisis and amid intra-union anxiety about whether the Irish referendum earlier this year has, or has not, sunk the Lisbon Treaty, is being greeted with barely concealed consternation.