Czechs may follow example of Denmark in EU - press Prague, Jan 2 (CTK) - The Czech Republic can follow the example of Denmark that strongly promotes its national interests and clearly is no ardent fan of European integration but that still is considered a constructive member of the European Union, Lubos Palata writes in Lidove noviny daily today. Given the present lineup of the three-party government where the Civic Democrats (ODS) of Prime Minister Petr Necas and Public Affairs (VV) take rather reserved stances on deeper European integration, the path taken by Poland is not acceptable for the Czech Republic for many reasons, Palata says. He says he believes that also the Hungarian path, leading to "sovereign democracy" and isolation within the EU or even away from the EU, is unacceptable for the Necas government and even for the Eurosceptic President Vaclav Klaus. In this situation, Denmark might be a good example to follow, Palata writes. He notes that Denmark has not adopted the euro as its currency. However, the Danish krone participates in the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II), along with the currencies of the Baltic states and unlike the Czech crown, Palata adds. Denmark is considered a reliable and constructive member of the EU that does not complicate the functioning of the bloc and participates in solutions to problems, also financially, Palata writes. Denmark took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU from Poland on Sunday, he recalls. Unlike Hungary and the Czech Republic, Poland used its rotating presidency to become a more respected country in Europe, Palata writes. Czechs and Hungarians were rather unsuccessful in their role, mainly due to problems in home politics, he adds. Warsaw took its presidency from Budapest last summer. Prague presided over the Council of the EU three years ago. Palata nevertheless says the Polish presidency did not succeed in everything, giving the Eastern Partnership project, which had been launched under the Czech EU presidency, as an example of failure. The magnificent plans for reviving eastern politics have fallen apart. Neither the association agreement nor the agreement on a free trade zone has been signed between the EU and Ukraine, he writes. Though the reason is clear - the political or at least politicised trial of the former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko - the possible consequence, or Ukraine moving towards Russia, may be fatal for both Poland and the EU in general, Palata says. During its presidency, Poland realised that it can be an organiser but not an active party in the EU unless it joins the euro zone. The Polish effort to be one of the major participants in the EU cannot be pushed through using the British way of being special by only using the French way of deeper integration. Moreover, the British way was challenged at the latest EU summit, Palata writes. However, Palata notes that the situation of Poland cannot be applied to the Czech Republic as the attitudes of the Necas government are very different from those of Donald Tusk. Yet if Necas wants to fly to the next summit in Brussels together with somebody, Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt is a far better college than Necas´s "friends" David Cameron and Viktor Orban, Palata says, referring to the British and Hungarian premiers. kva/t/rtj 