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Post by justjohn on Apr 11, 2008 4:24:36 GMT -7
BBC NEWS Slovak MPs end row to pass treaty Slovakia's parliament has ratified the Lisbon Treaty, despite a boycott of the vote by some opposition parties. Previous attempts to hold a vote had to be scrapped because of a series of walkouts by MPs over a media law, which critics say harms press freedom. But one of the opposition parties decided to drop its boycott and give Prime Minister Robert Fico the majority he needed to push the bill through. Poland has also formally ratified the treaty, after a vote by MPs last week.President Lech Kaczynski took the final step, nine days after both houses of parliament had backed a law authorising him to do so. Austria's parliament ratified the document on Wednesday. The treaty, which replaces the failed European Constitution, was signed by European Union leaders in Lisbon in December 2007 and has the aim of making EU institutions more efficient, now that the bloc has 27 member states. It also creates a new post of president of the European Council. All 27 member states have to approve the treaty before it comes into force. The Irish Republic is the only country due to hold a referendum. So far, nine countries have ratified the document - Hungary, Slovenia, Malta, Romania, France, Bulgaria, Austria and now Poland and Slovakia. Story from BBC NEWS: news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/7341100.stmPublished: 2008/04/10 17:18:19 GMT
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