Sejm debates EU negotiation strategy vis-a-vis Poland's last-place status

During a Sejm debate yesterday dominated by evaluation of negotiations for EU membership, chief negotiator Jan Kulakowski said that Poland has over-estimated the EU's readiness to conduct discussion on concessions, noting that the EU avoids substantial discussions about crucial issues and that the speed of negotiating depends on a candidate's willingness to give in. He added that Poland should not forget that the most important goal is the quality of membership, stressing that Poland's national interest in areas such as land sales to foreigners and the free movement of labor is more important than achieving statistical progress in accession talks. SLD leader Leszek Miller said Poland lacks a vision of its role in EU structures, and that affects its negotiation arguments. Following talks in Brussels last week, Poland emerged as the least advanced in negotiations among the six front-running EU candidates. (Rzeczpospolita, p.A4), M.T.