POLAND: Polish prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski accused the media of creating a myth of growing xenophobia and homophobia in Polish society and government yesterday.
He also sought to defuse a series of damaging rows with Brussels over government interference in the banking and shipyard sectors on his first trip abroad as leader.
Mr Kaczynski, who was appointed prime minister in July, rejected allegations that Poland did not provide adequate rights to minorities such as homosexuals. He said Europe had no reason to worry about Poland's willingness to abide by European values and urged people to come to the country to see for themselves.
"Please do not believe in the myth of anti-Semitic, homophobic and xenophobic Poland this is a media thing - it is not real," said Mr Kaczynski at a press conference following talks with European Commission president José Manuel Barroso.
Concerns have been growing in Brussels since the deeply conservative and eurosceptic Law and Justice party won the election last year. Since taking power, the coalition government has clashed bitterly with Brussels over economic protectionism, social issues and recently professed support for the death penalty.
Pressed on his government's attitudes to minorities yesterday, Mr Kaczynski said there was no tradition of restricting rights of people with different sexual preferences.
"What you have in Poland is gay clubs, gay literature, gay press and this is functioning normally," he said. "There is no limitation on political promotion either. In Poland, there are homosexuals who take very high [ political] positions."
Mr Kaczynski, who is the twin brother of Polish president Lech Kaczynski, has been quoted as saying gays should not teach in schools. Meanwhile, the pressure group Human Rights Watch has accused President Lech Kaczynski of presiding over "official homophobia" in Poland, where as mayor of Warsaw he banned gay parades and said he was "not willing to meet perverts".
Mr Barroso said he had a frank and very good discussion with Mr Kaczynski on concerns regarding Warsaw's position on gay rights and the death penalty. He welcomed the prime minister's assurances that Poland respected EU values.
"I was happy to listen to the position expressed by Prime Minister Kaczynski that was very clear, telling me there was no reason for any concern," he said.
Mr Kaczynski and Mr Barroso also discussed the future of Poland's economically distressed shipyards, which rely on state subventions to remain in business.
The commission warned earlier this week that it may deem tens of millions of euro given to the shipyards by the Polish government as illegal state aid, a move that could shut several yards, including the Gdansk shipyard, birthplace of the Solidarity movement.
This decision could provoke a new economic row between Poland and the EU, which have recently clashed over Warsaw's intervention in a banking merger. Mr Kaczynski confirmed Warsaw would submit a restructuring plan for three of its shipyards by Thursday, one day before a European Commission deadline.