He had planned to sack Ryszard Czarnecki, head of the bureaucracy preparing for membership of the European Union.

ECONOMIST: Poland

EU. Mr Czarnecki's party has complained publicly about the tight budget and low inflation target planned for next year.

ECONOMIST: Poland

This has enabled billionaires like Lescek Czarnecki to experiment with his banking empire, listing his holding on the strong and liquid Warsaw Stock Exchange.

FORBES: Where to Expect More Billionaires in Eastern Europe