Polish Prime Minister talks to EuroNews about Russian relations and plans for Poland's economy.

EuroNews ^ | 7 March 2006

[lizol]

Polish Prime Minister talks to EuroNews about Russian relations and plans for Poland's economy.

Poland's parliamentary elections in autumn this year threw up no clear winner. The country's new Prime Minister, Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz heads up a minority cabinet made up of the Law and Justice Party as well as populist parties which include 'Self-Defense' and the far-right 'League of Polish Families'.

"Law and Justice's" election campaign centred on promises to defend what it described as "christian values". The party opposes liberal economic theories and intends to maintain a high level of state protection for the poor. It's also pledged to crack down on crime and corruption and tackle Poland's high level of unemployment.

But what about Europe? In an exclusive interview with EuroNews, Prime Minister Marcinkiewicz first dealt with the fraught negociations over the European Union's budget

Hans von der Brelie, EuroNews: In mid-december, the Heads of States and Governments of the European Union should decide about the future financial perspective for the period 2007 to 2013. If no decision is come to, it would mean huge problems for Poland. What is your proposal to break the deadlock over EU budget negociations?"

Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, Polish Prime Minister: In a political sense it will be a bad situation. The European Union is today in a kind of crisis. This crisis will deepen if no compromise (on the future budget framework 2007-2013) is found at December's EU Summit. But at the same time, we should not forget that the European Union needs a GOOD budget, and Poland as well needs a GOOD EU-budget. So if it looks likely that there's going to be a bad budget compromise in December, it would be better to wait.

EuroNews: Next year there will be presidential elections in Belarus. How can the European Union, together with Poland, support the democratic opposition in Belarus?

Marcinkiewicz: Well, for us Poles, democracy and freedom are very important because we've fought for those values for such a long time. We wish to persuade the European Union for a more open and a more COMMON eastern policy. With COMMON I do not mean that the European Union or Poland should make or initiate any revolution in the eastern countries. It is more about broadening democracy - and in the same time broadening freedom and welfare.

EuroNews: Bilateral relations between Poland and Russia are - unfortunately - not at their very best. What can, what should be done by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to improve things between Poland and Russia?

Marcinkiewicz: Well, bad relations between countries arise from bad politics. And I hope we can improve our relationship with Russia. Poland is very interested in good business relations with Russia. Our good relations could be based on the fact that the Poles like the Russians and that the majority of Russians like the Poles. So when the people like each other, also the countries, the States can come to an understanding.

EuroNews: Let's talk about Irak: what is your time-table for Iraq?

Marcinkiewicz: I am very glad that so many Iraqis voted in the referendum which took place there, and I hope the same is true for the upcoming parliamentary elections. If there's a government created soon it will further stabilise the situation in Iraq. We are in the middle of analysing the current situation - together with the Iraqi authorities. And we are talking to our allies, the USA and the UK regarding the military presence in the country. Afterwards we will take a decision - which depends on how stable Iraq is.

EuroNews: Prime Minister, you won the elections thanks to your economic programme. During the campaign you promised to fight poverty in Poland. That requires money! But there is not enough money in your State-budget! So: how do you want to implement your promises made during the election campaign?

Marcinkiewicz: The basic thing for Poland is economic growth and the development of the country. We would like the economy to enjoy growth of 5 percent (growth) or even more. And we want that growth to be felt across the board. We want to encourage both Polish investment and foreign direct investment. Our plan is to cut red-tape in the throughout the whole of the country's bureaucracy. This should generate enough economic growth to improve the lot of the country's poor, but also to promote further development of important areas such as social housing, the road-network and other infrastructure. This growth will complement money we get from Europe. In that way we'll be able to maintain budget discipline and to show both Europe and the world that economic development here can be very rapid"

[wolf78]

"The party opposes liberal economic theories and intends to maintain a high level of state protection for the poor."

In other words: Socialists...

[lizol]

In my opinion yes (as far as economical issues are concerned).

That's why I didn't vote for them.