Vaclav Klaus EU Presidency Begins January 1, 2009!

January 1st 2009 is the date when the Czech Republic will take the reigns away from France and French President Nicolas Sarkozy in the EU leadership. Sarkozy has been severely criticized by free market advocates for insisting on radical policy changes - one of them involving a global financial police.

Change is definitely abound with the entry of free market advocate Czech President V?clav Klaus. The man is a fan of Margaret Thatcher and a student of the Hayek economic doctrine. He believes the role of government is to protect property rights and liberty, not wealth distribution and economic oppression. He has been at odds with the EU community since its inception and many who embody the structure are afraid that he's going to use it to promote what stalwarts label as a European Social model

Klaus is a global warming skeptic that sees the entire movement as an economic cancer on civilization and has a very unflattering view of former U.S. vice-president Al Gore. To say he's going to be a breath of fresh air is dependent on your point of view.

I find it ironic and fitting that the man who suggested back in 2005 that the EU should be scrapped will be its new leader January 1st. The clash of ideologies is strong and its captains, albeit flawed, are up to the task.

This growing struggle to delegitimize government intervention and climate change theology will no doubt be Klaus' top priority. Mr. Klaus must use his 6-month term as president to promote these efforts before he's replaced by a more EU friendly replacement. The role of EU president is mainly ceremonial but very influential if managed properly through the bully pulpit of media exposure.

Dissenting voices are healthy in any democracy but it seems many contrary views lately are receiving very little exposure through network and cable media networks. Many are hoping that a high profile contrarian will light the spark of meaningful debate and truth revelations hat will affect industrialization policies for the next two decades.