EU election blues for foreigners resident in Poland

If elections to the European Parliament were to take place now, about 50,000 foreigners from EU countries living in Poland would be entitled to vote. However, during the elections scheduled for June 2004, it might turn out that not all of them will be allowed to cast a ballot, as the regulations on this issue will change. Foreigners will be forced to apply for a new residency permit and not all of them might make it on time. According to the new act on EU foreigners in Poland, they will be allowed to apply for a permit if they declare that they will work, run a company, or have sufficient means to support themselves in Poland over the next 12 months. Foreigners will be allowed to vote for candidates from Polish parties, or stand as candidate themselves. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A4) M.M.