EU hopeful on Poland despite election

The European Union's top enlargement official put a brave face on Poland's inconclusive election result, saying he was sure the…

The European Union's top enlargement official put a brave face on Poland's inconclusive election result, saying he was sure the biggest EU candidate country would push ahead with difficult negotiations.

Sunday's vote left Poland's pro-EU former communists just short of an outright majority while a strong showing by populist, eurosceptic parties could limit the new government's ability to catch up with more advanced candidates like Hungary.

"We see a strong majority of parliament are for a continuation of the process of European integration," Enlargement Commissioner Mr Guenter Verheugen told reporters in his first public comments on the election.

"I am strongly convinced there will be a working majority and that the parties will keep to what they have promised (on joining the EU)," he said.

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Final election results are expected on Wednesday.

Mr Verheugen said domestic issues, not Europe, had dominated the Polish election campaign, reflecting a broad consensus among Poles on the importance of joining the wealthy 15-nation bloc.

This year, Poland has slipped behind other frontrunners in the race to join the EU.

It has so far closed only 16 chapters, or policy areas where candidates must bring their legislation into line with EU laws and standards. This compares with 22 chapters for Hungary and Cyprus, for example, and 19 for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Poland, with 39 million people, is by far the largest of the 12 EU candidate countries and Mr Verheugen has made clear in the past that eastern enlargement without Poland would be unthinkable.