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When I woke up yesterday I hoped it was all a bad dream but it's real. This is so hard to take in. So many people who influenced Polish politics (and my life) for many years. It feels strange to be so far away from it all.

Those who died.

The presidential election must take part in two months but two of main candidates died in this catastrophe and another is now acting president. It's hard to even think about this. And then there are all the Senate seats - there have to be elections for those too (the seats of the lower house of the Parliament are filled automatically by the same party). All the other positions that have to be filled - all military leaders are gone, the National Bank of Poland chairman, the Ombudsman for Citizen Rights. It's so hard to take in.

I wish I could go home. Instead I watch pictures. I'm proud of the way Polish people reacted.
Warsaw in mourning

And I'm thankful to Russians - the outpour of help and condolences have been heartwarming. One good thing coming of this tragedy is that the relations between our two nations haven't been that good for a long time. Seeing Vladimir Putin embrace our prime minister...
Medvedev, Gorbachev sign condolence book for Kaczynski
Poland and Russia mourn crash victims