Chancellor Schroeder has widespread supporters outside his native homeland

It appears that many Eastern European countries, including Poland, that are lining up to join the European Union are hoping that incumbent German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder beats off conservative challenger Edmund Stoiber in Sunday's German general election. While both candidates have avoided making EU enlargement a campaign issue, the Polish (as well as Czech and Hungarian) governments share Schroeder's center-left politics and value his unwavering support for their candidacies. Stoiber backs EU enlargement, but he has made waves by calling for the repeal of decrees, which sanctioned the post-1945 expulsion of millions of ethnic Germans from Poland and Czechoslovakia. "I do not see EU enlargement being affected by the outcome of the German election. However, any move by Stoiber to stimulate these sensitive issue could lead to another flare-up, possibly complicating enlargement talks as they enter their decisive stage," said Janusz Reiter, a former Polish Ambassador to Germany and the director of the Center for International Affairs in Warsaw. (Reuters) M.M.