In this role, it will serve as the spokesperson, organizer, and coordinator of the European Community's work. The Czech Republic is the second new EU member state to be entrusted with such a responsible mission after the significant enlargement in 2004. The presidency baton was passed to the Czech Republic by France.
The implementation of this historic role comes in a year when the country will mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the communist regime. As «Radio Prague» notes, for the Czech government, which chose the slogan «Europe Without Barriers» for this period, it will be a great challenge.
It is worth noting that the Czech Republic, along with Ireland, are the only EU members that have not yet ratified the so-called Lisbon Treaty, or the new draft of the European constitution. In Ireland, the Lisbon Treaty was rejected by the country's residents in a referendum, and the Czech authorities ordered the vote on the EU constitution draft to be postponed to February 2009 (in this country, the fate of the treaty will be decided in parliament).
Before the Czech Republic, France held the EU presidency for six months.