Poland's eurosceptic wild card

By Chris Morris
BBC Europe correspondent, Warsaw

Eurosceptic parties have been polling well across many of the new EU member states and could put in one of their strongest performances in Poland, where the current government is in crisis.

Andrzej Lepper: He will be sending eurosceptic MEPs to parliament

Here the eurosceptic who has been riding highest in the polls is Andrzej Lepper - nationalist, populist, the wild card of Polish politics.

His party may be called Self Defence (Samoobrona) - but Mr Lepper's political style is unashamedly aggressive.

"Self-defence isn't just about defending yourself... it's also about going on the attack," he says.

"We're attacking the government, and we're attacking the terms on which we joined the European Union.

Unemployment is being created by the EU, and we say No Andrzej Lepper

"We've got a production capacity which we're not being allowed to use... so unemployment is being created by the EU, and we say 'no'."

At a rally in the town of Wloclawek, Andrzej Lepper strides through the crowd with his trademark red and white tie. He is not standing in this election, but it is his party, and a test of his political appeal.

Protest vote

To be honest a lot of people have come to give their kids a ride on the merry-go-round. Poles are pretty disillusioned with politics at the moment.

But as Mr Lepper goes on the offensive against the men who took Poland into the EU, he strikes a chord.

I think the outcome will be a lesson for politicians and for public opinion Civic Platform candidate, Andrzej Krajewski

Many of these people are natural Andrzej Lepper supporters - a long way from the centres of political power and a little nervous about what the EU may mean for them. There are all the ingredients here for a protest vote.

If anyone can get their core voters out at this election, it's the Self Defence party.

Back in Warsaw I asked a candidate for the European Parliament from the centre-right Civic Platform party, Andrzej Krajewski, why so many people seem to be attracted to the eurosceptic message so soon after Poland finally joined the European Union.

"It is something in Polish nature, in Polish history, that we are very good at winning fights but then very bad at using the victory," he said.

"Who knows what will happen (in this election), but I think the outcome will be a lesson for politicians and for public opinion."

High unemployment

Civic Platform has been leading in the opinion polls, but only just. Another of the party's candidates, Krzysztof Bobinski, is worried about the ability of the Self-Defence party to appeal to disillusioned voters, not just now, but at a looming general election as well.

Some Poles celebrated joining the EU - others are worried about jobs

"We have 20% unemployment, we have a lot of people who feel that they have not done well out of the change from communism to the free market economy," he says.

"These people are unhappy. They have low wages or they are unemployed. They are worried about their future, and the political establishment at the moment hasn't been looking after them properly, so they are very happy to see a radical demagogue voicing their concerns."

So how far can Andrzej Lepper go?

He will certainly be sending a batch of eurosceptic MEPs to Brussels, and pushing hard to make Polish positions at any EU meeting as tough as possible.

But he has greater ambitions than that. He wants to run this country, and this European vote will be an indication of how many people are listening to him.