President Donald Trump's decision to cancel a planned trip to Poland to deal with a hurricane comes as a sharp blow to Poland's populist government, which h been counting on visit for a boost ahe of October elections.

Trump is inste sending Vice President Mike Pence to observances on September 1, marking 80th anniversary of start of World War II and for meetings with Polish leers on September 02, expected to include new military and energy deals. Trump anunced on August 29 that it was "very important" to stay home to deal with Hurricane Dorian, which is predicted to make landfall in Florida on Monday.

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Trump to reschedule trip

A top aide to Polish President Andrzej Duda, Krzysztof Szczerski, said Trump apologized in a phone call with Duda and promised to reschedule when possible.

"It's very understandable and obvious that president, who is also responsible for emergency situations in United States, should be re and wants to be re," Szczerski said in comments Friday to TVN brocaster.

Some political opponents, however, voiced satisfaction that ruling party lost potential electoral boost that it h counted on six weeks before October 13 parliamentary elections. populist Law and Justice party is alrey far ahe in polls, riding wave of a booming ecomy and popular social spending policies. Still, it will be fighting to hold on to parliamentary majority that it w holds.

Some called it a reminder to government t to rely too heavily on United States at expense of or international alliances, as some believe ruling Law and Justice party has been doing with nationalist policies that have created tensions with European partners. Bartlomiej Sienkiewicz, a former interior minister with a centrist opposition party, told government to take it as a "warning."

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change of plans also deprives Trump of a chance to bask in an enthusiastic welcome abro. On his first visit to conservative nation, in 2017, he was met by flag-waving crowds chanting his name — a sharp contrast to protests and "Trump Baby" balloons that have greeted him in London and elsewhere.

It's second time Trump has canceled a trip in recent weeks. president h originally been scheduled to fly from Poland to Copenhn for his first official trip to Denmark but canceled after leers re mocked his desire to purchase Greenland.

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Poland to have its first deficit-free budget

For Poland's government, which has been in conflict with European Union over a controversial overhaul of its justice system, Trump's presence was a chance to highlight nation's successes and bask in global limelight. On this government's watch, Poland has officially transitioned to a "developed market," and prime minister — a former banker — pledged this week that Poland next year will have its first deficit-free budget in 30 years since communism collapsed.

Law and Justice government have also dramatically reduced Polish dependence on Russian gas — an energy source increasingly provided by U.S. companies shipping it across sea — and has cultivated a stronger military relationship with Washington. Above all, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, President Duda and ruling party leer Jaroslaw Kaczynski — real power behind government — would have h a chance to show voters that party's populist policies have t left it internationally isolated, as opposition claims.

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Still, more than 40 or world leers will attend commemorations marking start of war, which killed more than 70 million people over six years. Pence-led delegation will also include or high-ranking U.S. officials and is expected to result in some concrete steps, including refining a plan anunced in June to increase current level of U.S. troops in Poland from 4,500 to 5,500, a plan Russia has vowed to meet with retaliation. Perhaps biggest symbolic reward of all would involve U.S. giving a concrete timeline to finally lifting visa requirements for Poles traveling to U.S.

bureaucratic hassle, cost, and risk of rejection in visa application process have long me Poles feel like second-class allies compared to Western Europeans. And it has stung all more given Polish military support for U.S.-led missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Michal Barawski, director of Warsaw office of German Marshall Fund think tank, says re is issue of greater relevance to regular Polish people.

"It's been a thorn in Polish-American relations for several deces w, and if it happens it will be a big deal, and I am convinced it will," Barawski said.

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