Meringue attacks mount in Poland

A young detractor, unhappy with the social effects of Balcerowicz's liberal economic policies, unceremoniously slapped the meringue in the face of the former finance minister currently tipped as a favourite for the post of central bank chief during a lecture at Warsaw University. The pie attack, masterminded by a group of young anarchists, was the second in as many days against prominent Polish politicians.

In a separate incident on Monday ecologists frustrated with the Polish government's environmental policies pushed a pie into the face of Polish Environment Minister Antoni Tokarczuk attending a conference in Poznan, western Poland. The PAP report indicates another meringue attack may be in the offing for later in the week when Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov is due to visit to Warsaw. The young anarchists have said they intend to "get to" Ivanov in protest against Russia's military action in Chechnya.

Ivanov abruptly cancelled an earlier visit to Warsaw planned for February after a Polish-Russian diplomatic row erupted over a pro-Chechen protest by Polish anarchists who burned Russian flags and attacked the Russian consulate in Poznan.

(dpa)