Polish farmers have taken to the streets before over inadequate subsidies

"The worst news for the Hungarians is that even when the new seven-year budget starts [in 2006], we will not be treated as equal members," declared Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

"So it's not an ad hoc arrangement, explained by lack of money," he said. "It's a long-term intention."

Agriculture, and how to reform the controversial web of subsidies to farmers known as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), is the central problem for EU enlargement.

Farming organisations in Poland and Hungary are already preparing protests. For once, that is good news for their governments.

"I am informed that agricultural interest groups will protest against this paper, and will push the government to be as tough as possible. That is music to our ears," said Mr Orban.

He was also quick to stress however, that Hungarian agriculture, alone among the four central European candidates, currently has a surplus in trade with the EU.

He would be happy, he said, if under the CAP reforms, all direct payments were scrapped.

But like other East European leaders, he is afraid that if an unequal system of subsidies exists between old and new members of the EU, his country's products will be unable to compete fairly.

Waning fervour

The lobbying efforts of Hungary and its northern neighbours will focus first on current EU members.

Support for the EU has been falling in the candidate states

The Commission document will now be debated by the 15 members, and a common position is likely to be reached by June.

Central European leaders can be expected to be frequent visitors in Paris, Berlin and Rome, as well as Brussels in the coming weeks.

During the summer, they will have to negotiate with a Union, rather than just a Commission document.

They appear to have few cards in their hands, other than their own stability, and the shrinking domestic popularity of the EU.

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the population of the former Communist countries waited at first enthusiastically, then impatiently, to retake "their rightful place in Europe", as they see it.

Support for membership has already sunk to 49% in the Czech Republic, according to a recent poll.

The figure for Poland is 52%, and for Hungary 61%.