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Polish president Lech Kaczynski is in hospital with an infection and has cancelled all engagements this week, including plans to attend a meeting of European Union leaders, his office said today.

"The president underwent tests yesterday in hospital and he may leave as soon as today if doctors decide that he can," a presidential press officer said.

Mr Kaczynski's official website said he had cancelled this week's engagements on the recommendation of his doctors. Polish media said his condition was not serious.

Mr Kaczynski (60) a conservative eurosceptic, had been expected to attend talks in Brussels later this week aimed at choosing a new president of the European Council and a foreign minister for the EU, posts created under the new Lisbon Treaty.

Polish prime minister Donald Tusk, Mr Kaczynski's arch rival and likely adversary in a presidential election due next year, is set to attend the Brussels talks.

Opinion polls show that Mr Kaczynski, in office since 2005, is much less popular than Mr Tusk. A survey by CBOS published today showed only 24 per cent of Poles positively assessed Mr Kaczynski's performance against 62 per cent who were critical.