Prague, Sept 7 (CTK) – A new Czech NGO, Czexit, wants to push through a referendum on the country’s remaining in the EU, one of its organisers, Frantisek Matejka, told CTK on Wednesday, adding that 6,500 people have backed his letter proposing that Czexit be announced to the EC after the 2017 general election.
It should be announced based on a referendum result and the consent from parliament, Matejka suggests in a letter posted on the Internet.
He said the Czexit group wants to promote Czech departure from the EU among people. For this purpose, billboards have appeared in Prague and Brno. The costs have been covered by the signatories of the letter, Matejka, deputy chairman of the extra-parliamentary Party of Free Citizens, said.
“The introduction of the Lisbon Treaty brought about quite essential changes to the EU’s decision making mechanisms. By the Lisbon Treaty’s ratification, citizens were stripped of the chance to take part in the administration and governance of our country by means of free elections. People have the right to decide, based on honest and matter-of-fact arguments, whether they want to continue in such a project,” Matejka said.
He said the establishment of the Czexit group was motivated by Britain’s Brexit decision in a referendum in June.
A similar Czech referendum has also been sought by other minor Czech parties. President Milos Zeman said in July he would not be opposed to it, but he would vote against Czech departure from the EU. The government then said it does not plan any referendums that would challenge Prague’s membership in the EU or NATO.
