Bronislaw Komorowski faces a tough tactical choice

This was hardly a landslide victory for Bronislaw Komorowski . He had to abandon many of his economic policies in an effort to pick up votes from Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Once a fervent reformer of Poland's agricultural pension scheme, which gives even wealthy farmers public-funded pensions, Komorowski changed his mind in mid campaign. He attempted to win votes from the poorer, rural Poles loyal to Kaczynski by highlighting the Law and Justice party's alliance with Britain's Conservatives in the European parliament. As the race tightened, Komorowski pointed to David Cameron's criticism of the common agricultural policy and accused Kaczynski of acting against Polish farmers' interests. Plans to raise the retirement age were abandoned by both candidates, although both parties endorsed the idea while in power. Both the government and the presidential palace are now in the hands of the Civic Platform party, and Law and Justice has found itself in opposition. But that doesn't mean that the centre-right's pro-market reform agenda will be implemented. In fact, everything points the opposite way. For one thing, as the memory of Kaczynski's difficult premiership three years ago fades, voters are unlikely to be satisfied with casting a simple anti-Kaczynski vote in the parliamentary elections next year. The new president may now emphasise his supposed independence from Civic Platform, and continue to try to woo Kaczynski's supporters. Or he may bury personal ambition and undermine his chances of re-election by working closely with the prime minister, Donald Tusk. Poland takes over the European presidency in the second half of next year. But its politicians, exhausted by constant campaigning, may not have much energy to spare for the EU.