New Polish president to be inaugurated

Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski has given his farewell Christmas message before formally standing down later today. He said that during his two terms the office of the presidency had been a stabilising force as the country entered Nato and the European Union.

His final call was for Poles to be proud of who they are and where they live. Kwasniewski, a former communist who was comfortable on the world stage, hands over to Lech Kaczynski, a veteran anti-communist who is barely known outside Polish borders. Kaczynski, the former mayor of Warsaw, has said he will take a more interventionist approach than his predecessor.

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