A prominent Polish Euro-skeptic said on Friday he hoped to gather disparate anti-European groups to back a bid to become Poland's president in this year_s polls.

Jan Lopuszanski, leader of the nationalist "Polish Agreement" caucus in parliament, is the first serious anti-European politician to announce his candidacy for the election, due to take place in the fourth quarter of 2000. Lopuszanski told journalists he was hoping for support from all Poles who believe in national sovereignty, "regardless of whether they have up until now backed the left or the right." Opinion polls suggest he will have little chance against the leftist incumbent President Aleksander Kwasniewski, who enjoys popularity levels of around 60 percent. The Polish right-wing_s history of dispute and division suggests Lopuszanski_s goal of creating a solid anti-European electoral movement this year may be difficult, despite growing public worries about the merits of joining the European Union. But analysts have predicted a solid anti-European bloc may emerge before parliamentary polls due in late 2001. Lopuszanski said he had previously opposed Poland_s joining NATO and would now fight to prevent Poles agreeing to enter the EU when the issue is put to a referendum. Joining the EU would betray Poland's Christian roots, said Lopuszanski, a fervent Roman Catholic. Poland wants to join in 2003 but Brussels diplomats doubt it will be ready for membership much before 2005.