Komorowski advocates euro adoption

“Without membership of the euro it will be much harder, or even doubtful, to be able to dream of a stronger role for Poland in the EU,” Komorowski said. “If someone has another idea about how we ensure a strong position, let them say what it is,” he added.

Although discussed for several years, Poland has no official deadline to adopt the euro, and in the context of a possible Greek exit from the single currency and the likely financial turmoil that will generate, domestic support for deeper EU integration may be waning.

The president speaking at a meeting of ambassadors to Poland said the last five years had show that "we are in the group of key members of the EU, that we can skillfully take advantage of our integration, achieve satisfactory solutions, for example in the multi-year EU budget, able to make civilisational steps.”

The president, who leaves office on 6 August after losing May’s election to Law and Justice (PiS) candidate Andrzej Duda, added: "The question that is still on the table is our membership of the EU currency. It is hard to imagine Poland with ambitions to play a key role in the Western world without membership.”

Meanwhile, the oposition wants a referendum before joining the euro, a senior adviser to Duda said this week.

Krzysztof Szczerski, foreign affairs adviser to president-elect Duda, also said Poland would resist "giving up more sovereignty to Brussels."

"The decision on ceasing to mint one's own currency must be ... the nation's decision," Szczerski told Reuters. "This realistically means that a discussion about introducing the euro in Poland during President Duda's current term is pointless."

Opinion polls show if there was a vote on accession, it would be firmly rejected. (jh)