Polish PM Launches Charm Offensive in Brussels

"Please, do not believe in the myth of an anti-Semitic, homophobic, xenophobic Poland. Please, come to Poland," he said in Brussels after talks with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

Since he came to office last month, Kaczynski's government has appeared isolationist and has raised eyebrows in the EU with its hard-line attitude toward homosexuals, Jews and the death penalty.

"I cannot mention any specific names here but I can tell you that in Poland there are homosexuals who take very high positions on the Polish political scene, and they also come from the right-wing parties," he told reporters.

"When it comes to anti-Semitism, we have certain provisions in Poland so that you cannot use anti-Semitic language," he said.

Redressing the balance

On arriving for his one-day visit, Kaczynski, the twin brother of Polish President Lech Kaczynski, said he was determined to clear up "misunderstandings" about his country's commitment to the European Union.

Poland joined the bloc in the "big bang" enlargement in May 2004 that saw the EU grow from 15 to 25 member states.

"I am convinced that we will dissipate these misunderstandings and that this evening things will be better," he told reporters traveling with him.

"Of course, we have our own expectations and our opinions and these sometimes differ from those of other countries, but we are a normal and loyal member of this organization, and we'll do everything to ensure it has a great future in front of it," he said.

Sensitive matters

In July, all of Poland's former foreign ministers since the fall of communism in 1989 wrote a letter to condemn his brother's behavior as "damaging to the interests of Poland" and dismissive of its EU partners. The letter was made public after the president appeared to snub a summit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Jacques Chirac.

At their joint press conference, Barroso said he had raised a number of "sensitive matters" with Kaczynski about Poland's attitude toward issues ranging from the death penalty to the independence of the central bank.

He said he had been satisfied with the response.

"I don't take decisions based on comment, I take decisions based on facts and I think the facts will show Poland's commitment to European values," Barroso said. "I really believe that Poland is a crucially important country for the success of the European project. I also believe that the European Union is crucial for the future of Poland and the well-being of the Polish people."

Warnings

Kaczynski was due later Wednesday to hold talks with Josep Borrell, the president of the European Parliament, whose lawmakers adopted in June a resolution condemning "the general rise in racist, xenophobic, anti-Semitic and homophobic intolerance in Poland."

Kaczynski could also come under fire over an initiative launched by the extreme-right League of Polish Families (LPR), a junior partner in his coalition government, to collect half a million signatures of EU citizens on a petition demanding the death penalty for pedophile-murderers.

That move has already drawn a swift rebuff from the commission. The EU's executive body has said that capital punishment "is not compatible with European law or European values."

In a sign he was listening to some EU warnings, the Polish premier said his government would send on Thursday a "project paper" to the commission to better explain its controversial state aid to three key shipyards.

Brussels has warned that it expects the Polish authorities to clarify by the end of the month its restructuring plans for the Gdansk, Gdynia and Szczecin yards, the country's biggest and which employ around 16,000 people.