Poland Still Says No

Before snap elections in October, Tusk's Civic Platform Party (PO) had pledged to review the policy decision. But President Lech Kaczynski, the twin brother of the former prime minister, threatened to vote down the new European treaty in the event of a reversal.

The Kaczynskis and their ultra-conservative allies regard the charter as being too morally liberal.

"In Civic Platform's opinion, the charter would be a positive act, but a safe ratification of the treaty is the most important issue," said Tusk in his first address to parliament after his Civic Platform party won the elections in October.

The new government needs the Kaczynskis' support

Tusk's center-right coalition with the centrist Peasants' Party coalition does not have a two-thirds majority so it is reliant on opposition support to ratify the EU treaty.

The former Polish government under Jaroslaw Kaczynski only agreed to support the treaty on condition that the country could opt-out of the charter. In particular, the rightist coalition argued that the charter would limit Warsaw's ability to maintain a traditional Roman Catholic family policy and enable the European Court of Justice to force Poland to grant new rights to homosexuals.

The Law and Justice Party also warned that the charter could spur legal claims by Germans who lost property after the Polish-German border was redrawn after World War II.

Tusk sets course for the euro zone

During the unveiling of his new government's program, the new prime minister also pledged to pursue a more European-oriented policy than his euroskeptic predecessor and push towards the adoption of the euro as quickly as possible. He also reiterated his earlier pledges to pull troops out of Iraq in 2008.

"This government will do everything to make sure Poland and the Poles are quickly ready for the euro," Tusk said.

He also confirmed his cabinet would lower taxes, cut the budget deficit and speed up privatization to keep up economic growth rates while pursuing its euro-zone entry. Tusk, however, did not announce a timeframe for the joining plans.

"We want to nearly balance the budget in a few years, so our road to entry is safe," he said.

Poland's current deficit is around the target of three percent of gross domestic product.