Members of the Ministry of Defense were pushing the swap, convinced that the ministry itself would never see proceeds from a cash sale. They also believed that the aircraft would be a useful addition to the Czech armaments profile. Most observers infer that Klaus kept the issue off the cabinet agenda throughout fall because he did not wish to place a further strain on the coalition. While the commission generally made a favorable assessment of the Czech Republic, it did cite some shortcomings, for instance, in public administration and in the ordinary court's preparedness to apply EU law. Supremacy gives EU law precedence over domestic law.
Legal experts say that the principal candidate for amendment is Art.
On July 12, President Vaclav Havel announced that he will seek another five-year term of office when his first term expires in January 1998. Havel's decision to seek a second term was by no means certain. According to Art. 58, the Czech president is indirectly elected by Parliament, and needs an absolute majority of votes in each chamber. The coalition parties and the opposition CSDP have already expressed their full support for his re-election.