Polish-EU Relations

Barroso was the first high-level international visitor to travel to Warsaw to congratulate Tusk, whose center-right Civic Platform party and its allies are expected to form a coalition government later this week after winning legislative elections on Oct. 21.

EU leaders have been barely able to contain their relief at the demise of outgoing Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski's conservative government.

"Today, I was able to congratulate personally Donald Tusk, my good friend, for his victory, for the victory of his party in the parliamentary elections," Barroso told reporters at a press conference after the meeting.

Tusk campaigned on a promise to help the EU's largest post-communist member catch up with richer western European countries, and said Poland could become like Ireland, where EU entry triggered an economic boom.

Pro-EU course

Further promises include improving strained relations with Poland's neighbors; taking advantage of the country's strong economic growth; adopting the euro in the next six years, and re-examining a US plan to place parts of an anti-missile shield in Poland. Tusk has also said special attention would be paid to German-Polish ties, which have taken a battering in recent years.

"One can be certain that the government will take a very strong pro-European direction, and European relations will be intensified," Tusk said after the meeting.

"We, the EU, will benefit from an engaged, constructive, dynamic, European Poland," Barroso responded.

End of a conserative era

Relations between Poland and the EU steadily deteriorated under Kaczynski and his identical twin President Lech Kaczynski, whose term in office is set to run until 2010.

Until then, he will continue to exert a strong influence -- particularly in Poland's foreign policy. Some experts fear there are already signs of imminent clashes with the new government.

As leader of the Law and Justice party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski was frequently at odds with other members of the 27-nation EU bloc.

Tusk has accused the Kaczynski twins of damaging relations with major international partners and of isolating Poland from the rest of Europe.

The outgoing government was widely seen in Europe as a troublemaker, blocking talks on a new partnership agreement with Moscow in 2005 and alluding to World War II during negotiations on the new EU reform treaty.

Good for Brussels, bad for Washington

Tusk and Barroso did not reveal whether they had discussed the European treaty or the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Reuters reported.

The Kaczynskis rejected adoption of the charter, saying it could violate Poland's Christian-oriented value system.

Outgoing Foreign Minister Anna Fotyga said adopting the charter would pave the way for gay marriage and euthanasia, both strongly opposed by predominantly Catholic Poles.

Meanwhile, some observers predicted that Poland's pro-European course may cost the country its friendship with Washington. They pointed out that disagreement was likely over the US plan to place an anti-missile shield in Poland.

"If we decide in talks with our partners in the EU and NATO that this is not an unambiguous project, then we are definitely going to think it over," Tusk was cited as saying in AP.