Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the twin brother of Polish President Lech Kaczynski has denied a report by a senior aide to the president saying he will sign the Lisbon Treaty on Sunday. Ireland approved the treaty in a second referendum on 2 October. Of the 27 European Union member states, only Poland and the Czech Republic have yet to sign the treaty.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who is an ally of his brother, heads the opposition Law and Justice Party. The president had promised to sign the treaty if Ireland approved it.

On Wednesday, Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer told the European Commission that the Czech Republic would sign the treaty before the end of the year.

Czech President Vaclav Klaus, who fiercely opposes it, has given strong hints that he will not be able to hold out on his own until the next British election. If the Conservatives win next year's parliamentary election and the Lisbon Treaty has not by then been ratified they could hold a referendum and block the treaty.

Although the treaty has been passed by both houses of the Czech parliament, an appeal to the Czech Constitutional Court is holding up the treaty. If the Constitutional Court rules in favour of the treaty soon President Klaus may not have enough support to defy the rest of the EU, and a Czech parliamentary majority, on his own.

Polish President Lech Kaczynski
Photo by Wikimedia Commons