Amerikaanse presidentskandidaat Romney: 'Polen voorbeeld voor EU' (en)

BRUSSELS - US presidential candidate Mitt Romney has described Poland as an economic model for Europe in the financial crisis.

Speaking at the Warsaw University Library in the Polish capital on Tuesday (31 July) he said: "Today, as some wonder about the way forward out of economic recession and fiscal crisis, the answer ... is 'Look to Poland'."

He noted that the Polish economy "last year outperformed all other nations in Europe."

He attributed Polish growth to its embrace of free market capitalism and budgetary discipine.

"Yesterday, one of your leaders shared with me an economic truth that has been lost in much of the world: 'It is simple. You don't borrow what you cannot pay back'," he said.

"Rather than heeding the false promise of a government-dominated economy, Poland sought to stimulate innovation, attract investment, expand trade and live within its means. Your success today is a reminder that the principles of free enterprise can propel an economy and transform a society."

The speech tugged at the heart strings of Polish history.

Romney celebrated Warsaw's uprising against Nazi occupation in 1944 and devoted large chunks of his speech to the role of the late Polish Pope, John Paul II, in the overthrow of Communism in the 1980s.

He also took a swipe at modern Russia, saying "once-promising advances toward a free and open society have faltered."

His visit to Poland culminated a week-long foreign tour also taking in the UK and Israel.

After annoying British press with criticism of London's hosting of the Olympics and causing a wider outcry by denigrating Palestinian culture, the Polish leg of the tour also had its problems.

Polish commentators saw his speech as a naked attempt to woo the votes of the 10-million-or-so Polish-origin Americans back in the US. They also noted that he said nothing about lifting US visa requirements for Poles.

Meanwhile, his spokesman, Rick Gorka, yelled at US journalists to "kiss [his] ass" after they heckled Romney during his visit to a Polish military memorial.

In a sign that the eurozone debt crisis is beginning to play an ever larger role in the US election campaign, President Barack Obama i this week portrayed himself as a leading player in solving Europe's problems.

On Tuesday, he telephoned Italian leader Mario Monti i to "[ask] for his views on the situation on the eurozone and on the likely developments," according to an Italian government statement.

In a campaign speech in New York on Monday, he said: "I don't think ultimately that the Europeans will let the euro unravel. But they are going to have to take some decisive steps."

"I'm spending an enormous amount of time trying to work with them - and [US treasury chief] Tim Geithner is spending a lot of time working with them - to recognise that the sooner they take some decisive action, the better off we're going to be."