Thousands of Poles, including Tusk, hold pro-EU rally before vote

European Council chief Donald Tusk on Saturday joined thousands at a pro-Europe opposition rally in Warsaw, calling on his fellow Poles to vote against the eurosceptic governing conservatives in this month's EU elections.

"You have no choice.... You can't leave the future of our children and grandchildren in their hands," Tusk said, referring to the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party.

"Our children and grandchildren would never forgive us.... Go forth towards victory," he added to cheers and applause at the rally organised by the opposition European Coalition.

A former Polish premier, Tusk is widely believed to be eyeing a political comeback at home once his EU term ends in November.

Without referring to him by name, Tusk compared his arch-rival and PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski to an ayatollah during the rally attended by Poles from across the country.

Kaczynski for his part used an election campaign event in the southern city of Krakow on Saturday to claim Tusk's political party lacked credibility.

He said the liberal Civic Platform (PO) -- the leader of the opposition parties comprising the European Coalition -- had reneged on a promise made before joining the EU to always defend Polish interests.

Kaczynski cited examples relating to the economy, traditional values and Polish-US relations to prove his point.

"We know that the Civic Platform very quickly veered to the left in its activity," Kaczynski said.

"The party began to pursue a policy whose goal was the implementation... in Poland of everything that makes up the powerful anti-Christian trend of Western Europe."
Computer scientist Miroslaw Janusz said he attended the rally to back a Poland that plays a positive role in the EU instead of "turning its back on the bloc, like the current government."