Poland’s countdowns to elect a new president

Despite head to head TV debates Poland’s presidential run-off election looks too close to call.

The issue capitvating the country is the speed of economic reforms. Donald Tusk, who has the support of Solidarity leader Lech Walesa as well as outgoing president Alexander Kwasnieski, wants to speed them up. That way he says Poland would catch up with many of the other members of the EU which Poland joined only last year. Tusk says he will mend relations with Germany and Russia as well as anchor Poland firmly within the EU. But his conservative rival Lech Kaczyinski wants to slow the pace of reform down. Instead, he wants to boost welfare protections that have been gradually eroded since communist rule ended 16 years ago. Kaczynski also says he will return to more Christian values and has promised to protect the poor and slow down privatisation.

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