Opposition leader accuses government of wanting Poland to leave EU

Donald Tusk, leader of Poland's main opposition party, the centrist Civic Platform (PO), has said he has heard from people in government, including the leader of the ruling party, that it wants to take Poland out of the European Union.

Tusk also said there may already be a question mark over Poland's membership of the EU's passport-free Schengen Area.

Speaking in the western town of Leszno on the campaign trail ahead of October 15's general election, Tusk said that recently he had fairly accurately guessed the government's intentions and had revealed "the evil they are doing."

"I want to say that these are not scare stories," Tusk said. "I know it (because) I have heard many times with my own ears, including from (Law and Justice party leader, Jaroslaw - PAP) Kaczynski himself, that if it will be at all possible, they will take Poland out of the European Union. Today we have a serious problem, through the visa scandal, and maybe soon there will be a big question mark over Poland in the Schengen Area."

He said that under Kaczynski and the ruling party, Poland may become not only isolated but "once again fenced off from the rest of the world."