Black Madonna may yet be invoked to help new homeowners

Poland's conservative politicians will join thousands of pilgrims in the southern town of Czestochowa tomorrow to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption at the shrine of the Black Madonna, the country's most revered religious icon.

The Black Madonna is credited with, among other things, the Polish victory in the Battle of the Vistula 80 years ago, when Russian forces were driven back from the gates of Warsaw.

On that occasion, thousands of people walked from Warsaw to Czestochowa to ask for the Madonna's help and since the overthrow of communism, Polish politicians have made the same trek in the hope of proving their patriotic credentials.

One politician who will not be at the shrine is the man who looks certain to win October's presidential election, President Aleksander Kwasniewski. As a non-believer, Mr Kwasniewski avoids most religious occasions and with more than a dozen, squabbling rivals trailing far behind him, he can probably manage without the Madonna's help in any case.

The president's most credible challenger, Marian Krzaklewski, will almost certainly be in Czestochova tomorrow but he is not basing all his hope for success on the Madonna's intervention. Mr Krzaklewski has persuaded his political friends in prime minister Jerzy Buzek's centre-right government to introduce a Bill making all Poles who live in state-owned property owners of their homes overnight - and free of charge.

The upper house of parliament last week approved an amended version of the Bill that excludes buildings listed as historical monuments, buildings intended for demolition and accommodation reserved for social welfare recipients. The lower house will vote on the amended Bill next month and after that, Mr Kwasniewski must decide whether to use his veto to block its enactment.

On the face of it, the measure ought to delight the millions of Poles who live in publicly-owned apartments and who now have a chance to become homeowners without the bother of taking out a mortgage. But many of those affected claim that much of Poland's public housing is in such a decrepit state that they will be worse off as owner-occupiers than as tenants.

"I'd willingly take my flat if they carry out all the repairs to the house first," said Aniela Zelnikowa, who lives in a rundown apartment building outside Warsaw. "Nobody in my house can afford to pay for any repairs. Out of 10 families, one person has a regular job, another works at home and the rest are retired or unemployed."

Another resident, Tadeusz Fus, estimates that urgent repairs to the roof alone would cost each family 5,000zl u1000) (£1,000) - more than three times the average monthly salary in Poland.

"It would be easier in the case of newer houses and it's good news for anyone who lives in a big flat in good condition. But if the building is in a bad state, it will probably be impossible to persuade all the residents to pay for improvements," he said.

Critics of the proposal, who include Mr Kwasniewski's allies in the formerly communist Social Democrats, warn that it will turn Poland into a massive slum as impoverished homeowners find they cannot afford to pay for the maintenance now carried out by local authorities. Others fear that it will cause a surge in homelessness as hard-up families sell their homes for knockdown prices and find that they cannot afford to rent an apartment.

Among those who are most annoyed by the plan are the hundreds of thousands of Poles who have already bought their homes from the state, usually going into debt to do so. Bogna Piotrowska bought her flat in the centre of Warsaw three years ago, using her life savings and a loan from her employer, which she is still paying back. The government is proposing to give people like Ms Piotrowska less than u100 £100 in compensation for the fact that they will not benefit from the property give-away.

She argues that most of those who will benefit from the new law probably earn so little that they would be better off as tenants. And she warns the government that, if the Bill becomes law, they can expect a torrent of lawsuits from homebuyers like her who want their money back.

"I am still repaying the loan for my flat and if I had borrowed from a bank, I would probably be paying for the rest of my life. I'm sure that, if this goes through, a lot of people who bought their flats will get together and sue the state," she said.