POLAND:Polish president Lech Kaczynski has attacked the foreign policies of prime minister Donald Tusk as "dangerous", signalling a new war of words in Warsaw's cohabiting executive.
Mr Kaczynski's comment, which comes amid rows on everything from foreign policy to healthcare, suggests that Mr Tusk faces a rough ride sharing power with his political rival, three months after replacing his twin brother, Jaroslaw, as prime minister.
Since taking office, Mr Tusk has worked quickly to rebuild trust with Poland's EU neighbours and warm up chilly relations with Moscow. However he has raised presidential hackles by deciding to make his inaugural visit to Moscow before making one to Washington.
He has also indicated that he is not interested in hosting part of a planned US missile defence system, a plan backed by President Kaczynski, unless it brings clear security benefits for Poland.
President Kaczynski, who has a constitutional role in foreign and defence policy, went on Polish radio to issue his warning: "The fundamental turnabout in foreign policy made by this government seems to be . . . sometimes very dangerous for our country."
He suggested that not going forward with the missile defence system would be seen as a capitulation to Moscow.
"I want the best possible relations with Russia," said Mr Kaczynski, before warning that Moscow "must remember once and for all that the geographical sphere where Poland lies . . . has permanently left their sphere of influence".
The prime minister has already won the first round on foreign policy, forcing the president - head of the Polish military - to back his plan to withdraw the country's 900 soldiers from Iraq.
However the political power struggle in Warsaw is likely to be won or lost on the domestic front, and the looming battle to reform Poland's chronically underfunded health system.
The centre-right government is under pressure from doctors to increase health spending and to agree substantial pay increases to reverse the dramatic wave of emigration of medical staff.
Its initial proposal, to introduce an additional voluntary insurance premium to pay for services not covered by existing health insurance, has been attacked as "two-tier medicine" by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party with the help of President Kaczynski.
Both the government and opposition are anxious to reap the rich political rewards awaiting whoever resolves Poland's long-standing healthcare problems.
A meeting on the matter called this week by President Kaczynski broke down after just 45 minutes in mutual recriminations.
Political observers suggest that the president risks being sidelined if he continues his political attacks on the government's healthcare proposals.
"The government is powerful enough to push through whatever proposal it wants regardless of opposition from Law and Justice or the president," said Piotr Kaczynski, a research fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels.
"Poles don't like a partisan president, particularly one who criticises the government for tackling something the previous government - one he openly supported - did nothing to address for two years."