The rising influence of the European Union's new members will be on display this week with the expected election of Jerzy Buzek as president of the European parliament.
Poland's former prime minister is widely favoured to win tomorrow after Italy's Mario Mauro, a fellow member of the centre-right European People's party, withdrew last week.
Mr Buzek would be the first politician to chair a large European institution from one of the formerly communist countries that joined the bloc in 2004.
"For my country, it's very important," he said. "And for new member states . . . it would have a lot of symbolic importance."
The vote will be a signature event as the new parliament gathers in Strasbourg for its first session since last month's elections.
The EPP and other political groupings will have their first encounter with José Manuel Barroso, the European commission president, since leaders of the Socialist and Liberal groups delayed a vote on his candidacy for a second term until September.
Under a deal between Socialists and EPP, Martin Schulz, the leader of the Socialists, is expected to succeed Mr Buzek halfway through the parliament's five-year term. New far-right MEPs also take their seats this week.
The post of parliamentary president is regarded more as one of prestige than legislative influence. Nonetheless, the contest between Mr Buzek and Mr Mauro featured intense lobbying by Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, and Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's premier.
Mr Buzek's apparent triumph is a testament to the strong performance of Poland's centre-right Civic Platform in last month's European elections, as well as the reputation he developed during his previous five-year term in the parliament. Yet Mr Buzek's campaign has been boosted throughout by the promise of making EU history. "There's a feeling in the EPP that it's Poland's turn," one top parliament official said, noting that Mr Buzek would probably win support of MEPs from every new member state - regardless of party affiliation.
A chemical engineer by training, Mr Buzek, 69, was prime minister from 1997 to 2001, when he shepherded through crucial reforms that helped to decentralise the country.
"I know the great importance of social welfare," Mr Buzek said, referring to his days in the Solidarity movement. "But without free enterprise and businesses growing, we cannot help anybody."
In addition to tackling the economic crisis, he identified energy security in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine gas crisis and immigration as priorities.
Five years ago, when he entered the European parliament, MEPs from new member states were largely relegated to the sidelines. There is debate in Brussels as to whether that was more due to discrimination or the practical reality that they had little experience in the Byzantine ways of the institution. Now, in addition to Mr Buzek, MEPs from new member states have garnered senior posts as vice-presidents of the main political groups, and appear set to win key committee positions, too.
"We see their names coming up much more on those lists," said Sara Hagemann, a lecturer at the London School of Economics.
