The first, comprising the poorest eight new members - Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Malta - will have a fifth of the EU population but on average just 42% of the GNP per capita.

BBC: The EU's spending challenge

Luckily for Europe's self-respect, Poland sized up the situation and, helped by Lithuania, joined America in pushing for a fair election and an orderly transfer of power.

ECONOMIST: The EU's relations with Russia are bad and may get worse

Meanwhile a squabble with Lithuania has annoyed neighbours that would prefer to see Poland as a leader, not a score-settler.

ECONOMIST: The Polish government

Lithuania-born Miss Baliutaviciene's naked body was found in a field in western Poland two months later, but prosecutors never found out where she was killed.

BBC: Rimas Venclovas