Warsaw - Poland hosted its first debate in English when three candidates to the European Parliament took the stage in Gdynia on the Baltic coast, organizers told the daily Wyborcza on Tuesday.

The nearly two-hour debate discussed the Lisbon Treaty, human rights and Poland's plans to adopt the euro currency, the daily reported. The three candidates took questions Monday from students in a packed auditorium during the event organized by a local Young Democrats group.

Poland joined the European Union in 2004 as the largest in the group of new members.

But some critics say there are too few Poles in the EU's higher ranks, and that Poland could hold more sway if MPs were more confident speaking English. (dpa)