EU Commission vows solidarity with Poland amid political chaos

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso brought a message of solidarity to Poland on Friday amid the Polish government's ongoing political crisis. "The EU is not them, the EU is us," he told reporters at a joint briefing in Warsaw with Poland's embattled right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

The Polish leader has gained the reputation of being luke-warm on the EU in some quarter of the media due to his strong views on national sovereignty.

Barroso agave a loud vote of confidence to Poland's role in the European Union and urged "team spirit" among the bloc's 25 member states.

Originally from Portugal, Barroso also congratulated Poland for Wednesday's 2-1 victory over Portugal in an UEFA Euro 2008 football qualification match.

Kaczynski sent a strong pro-EU message insisting that Poland's EU entry in May 2004 had been a great success even in difficult areas like agriculture where there had been strong fears EU entry would destroy the sector.

Instead, the influx of EU direct agricultural subsidies had jump-started the modernisation process on old fashioned Polish farms, Kaczynski said.

Talks ahead of the EU's October 20 informal meeting of heads of state and government in Lahti, Finland focused on Poland's proposal for an energy security pact among EU states similar to NATO's 'one for all and all for one' strategy.

Other topics covered included future EU expansion, EU-Russia relations and the application of free-movement elements of the Schengen Treaty to the 10 states that joined the EU in May 2004. They are urging are the full implementation of the Schengen Treaty agreement on the free movement of citizens between EU states

Several of the 15 older EU states have, however, expressed reservations regarding the readiness of the newcomers to comply with Schengen rules and have suggested the implementation of the Treaty in these countries be postponed by one year to October 2008.

Barroso is due to meet with Prime Minister Kaczynski's identical twin brother, President Lech Kaczynski on Saturday.

The EU commission president's visit comes as Poland is in the grip of an extended government crisis.

Manoeuvring on Poland's chaotic political scene continued this week as a parliament voted to postpone a crucial vote determining the future of Kaczynski's beleaguered right-wing government.

It also became apparent this week Kaczynski was prepared to kiss and make up with the populist Samoobrona farmers' party in order to secure a parliamentary majority.

He abruptly ousted Samoobrona from a three-way majority coalition three weeks ago prompting a string of high-pitched political battles.
Source:rawstory.com