It's personal not political sympathy
Apr. 26th, 2010 07:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ellestraThis year was always to be the year of presidential elections in Poland. In the 10th of April plane crash two of the presidential candidates were killed. One of them was the reining president. This means that the election has to be sooner - in June instead of October. It also meant that two parties had to chose new candidates. The social-democratic replacement candidate was chosen last week but in current Polish political situation that party's candidate never stood a chance. Everyone was waiting who will be chosen by the main opposition party from which the late president came. Today it was announced that it will be his twin brother.
President Kaczyński was buried in the Wawel where the kings and important historical figures were buried. Some people protested but I, despite agreeing that he didn't do anything deserving the honor, thought it was something people needed. Funerals are for the living. After such a great tragedy people needed a great gestures to help them to deal with shock and grief. After all some of the kings did to deserve it was to be born. He deserved it by dieing.
I however dislike the hypocrisy that followed his death. During the week after the crash everyone was acting like he was a great, misunderstood and tragic figure, even though just before he was often ridiculed and wildly disliked.
I didn't like president Kaczyński. I never voted for him. I think he was lousy president of Warsaw and bad president of Poland. Most people agreed. Warsaw didn't vote for him in last presidential election despite the fact that the whole region around it did. The only thing he did for the city was the Warsaw Uprising museum. Meanwhile roads and, communication problems just got worse. As a president of the country he was petty, self-centered and sulky. Again all the most positive thing that came from his rule is history related. Although I appreciate the fact that not only the Russians finally admitted the crimes that NKVD (Stalin's secret police) committed in Katyń but also that the rest of the world heard about it (even though I don't think it was worth all does lives). But a nation doesn't live on history and in current affair he was a disaster. Many Poles, including me, were waiting for this year's election hoping he will lose. According to all pols he was set to lose. Just like his brother lost the Parliamentary election just two years after his party took the power.
Now his brother is trying to use pity votes to get his position as president. And I'm sure this is counting on sympathy of people because he was even more disliked then the late president. The late president who had almost no chances for second term. The thought that he may make it, makes me consider going all the way to Washington to vote against him in June. I got friends there that have already invited me to come sometime...
President Kaczyński was buried in the Wawel where the kings and important historical figures were buried. Some people protested but I, despite agreeing that he didn't do anything deserving the honor, thought it was something people needed. Funerals are for the living. After such a great tragedy people needed a great gestures to help them to deal with shock and grief. After all some of the kings did to deserve it was to be born. He deserved it by dieing.
I however dislike the hypocrisy that followed his death. During the week after the crash everyone was acting like he was a great, misunderstood and tragic figure, even though just before he was often ridiculed and wildly disliked.
I didn't like president Kaczyński. I never voted for him. I think he was lousy president of Warsaw and bad president of Poland. Most people agreed. Warsaw didn't vote for him in last presidential election despite the fact that the whole region around it did. The only thing he did for the city was the Warsaw Uprising museum. Meanwhile roads and, communication problems just got worse. As a president of the country he was petty, self-centered and sulky. Again all the most positive thing that came from his rule is history related. Although I appreciate the fact that not only the Russians finally admitted the crimes that NKVD (Stalin's secret police) committed in Katyń but also that the rest of the world heard about it (even though I don't think it was worth all does lives). But a nation doesn't live on history and in current affair he was a disaster. Many Poles, including me, were waiting for this year's election hoping he will lose. According to all pols he was set to lose. Just like his brother lost the Parliamentary election just two years after his party took the power.
Now his brother is trying to use pity votes to get his position as president. And I'm sure this is counting on sympathy of people because he was even more disliked then the late president. The late president who had almost no chances for second term. The thought that he may make it, makes me consider going all the way to Washington to vote against him in June. I got friends there that have already invited me to come sometime...
