Ryanair is hoping that Poland's new pro-European government will support its growth plans in the country which assume a doubling in size over the next 6-8 years, CEO Michael O'Leary said on Tuesday.

Poland, the largest country in the European Union's Eastern wing, has since December had a new government headed by former European Council President Donald Tusk after 8 years of nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party rule.

"I think the previous government were interested in holding down that growth. They didn't want Ryanair to expand, so we ran into a lot of political interference," O'Leary told Reuters.

"We hope the new government will be more outward looking...the more Poland looks toward the EU...the better that will be for Poland, the Polish economy and for Ryanair's growth in Poland."

He added that the company has not yet met with the new government but hopes an agreement can be reached this year.

"We have ambitious plans to double in size in Poland over the next 6-8 years but what we need here is increased infrastructure," O'Leary said.

The company said it plans to raise passenger numbers in Poland by 10% to 18 million this year as it announced 30 new routes from the country for a total of 300. (Reporting by Alan Charlish, writing by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)