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In this week's Spotlight we'll, for a change, travel outside the Czech Republic - yet in a sense still stay in it - because today we are visiting Prague House in Brussels.

A similar topic is being discussed at a two-day ministerial conference in Brussels which follows the publishing of the European Commission Green Book on demographic changes which the EU Commissioner for social policy and employment Vladimir Špidla presented earlier this year. Politicians, scientists, experts and NGO representatives are meeting to discuss the aging of Europe's population and its implications. Commissioner Spidla said that by 2030 seven percent of the work force will have retired which will have a direct impact on economic growth. One of the necessary steps, according to Commissioner Spidla, is to improve work-life balance and help families with young children.

The president's spokesman Petr Hajek has revealed that in a letter President Vaclav Klaus has called on other top constitutional officials and the heads of all five parties in Parliament to conduct a "serious" discussion on the European Union and its future. Mr Klaus has made clear he would welcome a meeting with the prime minister, the heads of both houses of Parliament, and party chairmen, as soon as possible - during the summer months. The impetus behind Mr Klaus' initiative are apparently the recent "No" votes in the French and Dutch referendums, as well as a breakdown in negotiations on the EU's future budget at the union's most recent summit in Brussels.

Britain's Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott held talks with the Czech Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek and Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda during a brief visit to Prague on Wednesday. The ailing EU budget for 2007-2013 and the need for a re-evaluation of spending priorities were the main topics of discussion. All three politicians also agreed that the European integration and enlargement processes must continue despite the rejections of the EU constitution by France and the Netherlands. Britain takes over the EU presidency from Luxembourg this Friday.

The lower house has also approved a bill enabling referendums to be held on a range of issues including the EU constitution. The bill that amends the constitution states the president must call a referendum if it is requested by the government, a group of at least 80 of the 200 lower house deputies, or 33 of the 88 senators, or by a petition backed by at least 300,000 citizens. The right-of-centre opposition Civic Democrats voted against the bill in the lower house and will most likely block it in the upper house (Senate), where they hold enough seats to reject new constitutional laws and amendments.

The acrimonious collapse of European Union budget talks in Brussels on Friday night is being variously interpreted as a disaster and an opportunity for the union. It revealed the depth of divisions between countries, but it was also the first time that the ten new members were out in force.

In terms of Czech reaction Radio Prague spoke with Czech Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek: the Czech delegation in Brussels has been pushing for an agreement and the prime minister has said difficulties were hardly unexpected in such important talks.

"I'll say it with an example from history: [even] the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, after 1870, had budget talks every 10 years and it was always a 'crisis'. It's a normal thing: when we talk about the budget it's not easy."

Meanwhile, there are indications that the proposed EU constitution - put on something of a hold on Thursday - would not be approved by the majority of Czechs if a referendum were held in the Czech Republic today. That news comes according to a poll freshly released by the STEM agency suggesting that on 42 percent of voters would decide in favour, while 58 percent would decide against. According to pollsters the number of those in favour has dropped following "No" votes in France and the Netherlands cast the future of the treaty in doubt. Previously, around 60 percent of Czechs supported the treaty.

Jiri Paroubek's trip to the EU summit is his first official visit to Brussels as Czech Prime Minister and it appears that he has made quite a good impression on his fellow EU leaders. Pavla Horakova has been watching Mr Paroubek closely, ever since he arrived in Brussels on Thursday:

The EU Constitution which many considered to be dead has received a new lease on life. On the first day of their summit in Brussels, European leaders agreed to extend the ratification deadline beyond November 2006 in order to give member states more time for reflection and debate.