2005 The year in brief: JULY

Britain reigns

Great Britain takes over the EU presidency. Tony Blair takes the opportunity to declare that the EU has to turn away from the Common Agricultural Policy in favor of R&D, and he says it should restructure its social model, adopt a flexible macroeconomic framework and finally start to implement the Lisbon Agenda.

Belka withdraws

Prime Minister Marek Belka withdraws from politics and public life and says he will not be running in parliamentary elections. In June Belka's communist-era dossier was published at his request in a bid to quash allegations linking him to the communist secret service. President Aleksander Kwasniewski dismisses the opposition's calls for the Prime Minister to resign. (Poland A.M.)

Coal miners' pensions

The EU executive announces that Poland will be allowed to grant zł.160 million each year from 2007 to 2010 to its coal miners. The funds will be extended under special rules that partly exempt the coal sector from the bloc's strict state-aid regulations until 2010.

PO reveals policies

Civic Platform (PO) officially starts its presidential and parliamentary campaign, with Jan Rokita as the party's would-be Prime Minister and Donald Tusk gunning for President. Rokita declares that the party's basic policies would be securing the freedom of the economy, the solidarity of the people, the introduction of a flat tax rate and the simplification of the company registration process.

About turn

Sejm speaker Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz changes his mind for the second time and announces that he intends to run for the Presidency. Earlier this year he declared he would not participate in the presidential race and wanted to leave politics for good. Cimoszewicz chooses the First Lady, Jolanta Kwaśniewska, to mange his campaign. By the end of the month Cimoszewicz is leading the presidential race, ahead of Lech Kaczyński, Zbigniew Religa and Donald Tusk.

Baltic pipeline

Civic Platform (PO) slams proposals to construct an undersea gas pipeline to carry Russian gas to Germany, arguing it would hurt Poland's energy interests. Polish officials are also concerned about plans to build the pipeline under the Baltic Sea, effectively bypassing Poland. Senior PO Deputy Bronisław Komorowski says blocking the deal is of strategic interest to Poland.            (Poland A.M.)