Warsaw, Poland – Center-right parties victorious in Poland’s weekend election are expected to keep their distance from Russia and retain a pro-U.S. stance but talk tough about what they want from Washington in return.
The conservative Law and Justice Party, which initial results showed in the lead Monday, and its expected coalition partner, the free-market Civic Platform, support warm ties with the United States.
Both parties also have indicated they might extend Poland’s deeply unpopular military mission in Iraq past a Dec. 31 deadline, although they did not campaign on the issue. They stress that in return, they would demand more from the United States than the country’s sacrifices – which include the deaths of 17 soldiers – have brought so far.
There is a widespread sense that the left-wing government, ousted in Sunday’s vote, neglected to fight for Polish interests in return for sending ground troops for the 2003 war and later leading an international force that now is made up of 4,000 troops.
Although Washington made no concrete promises, Poles had hoped rewards might include more investment in the Polish economy, lucrative deals for Polish companies in reconstructing Iraq, or abolishing travel visas required for Poles visiting the United States.
