President of ‘God – Honour – Homeland’
Editorial board
Lech Kaczynski would be only 61 on 18 June 2010 but he had a very beautiful, patriotic biography: President of the Republic of Poland (2005-2010), Mayor of the City of Warsaw (2002-2005), Minister of Justice and the Public Prosecutor General (2000-2001), President of the Supreme Chamber of Control (1992-95).
Together with his brother Jaroslaw he founded Law and Justice Party and was its first chairman. He was a senator during the first term (1989-91), MP of the First Parliament (1991-93) and he was re-elected. He had his PhD and habilitation in law. He was a professor at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University and the University of Gdansk, a specialist in labour and employment law.
He was born to a patriotic family in Warsaw. His father was an engineer, soldier of the Home Army and a participant in the Warsaw Uprising. His mother – a graduate of Polish – worked for the Polish Academy of Sciences. Through their mother the Kaczynski brothers are descendants of gentry families from the 16th century: the Olszowskis, Biskupskis and Kurozweckis.
In 1977, living in Gdansk, he began collaborating with the Intervention Bureau of the Committee for Social Self-defence, the Workers’ Defence Committee (KOR), directed by Zbigniew Romaszewski. He organised lectures on labour law for workers. From 1978 he was active in the Free Trade Unions. In the years 1978-80, together with Joanna and Andrzej Gwiazda, he provided training sessions and lectures for workers in labour law and history of the Polish People’s Republic He wrote for the independent periodical ‘Robotnik Wybrzeża’ [Worker of the Coast].
In August 1980 he was appointed as an adviser to the Gdańsk Inter-Enterprise Strike Committee in Gdańsk Shipyard. Being a lawyer he was the author of several provisions contained in the August Agreement. He was the head of the Intervention Bureau and manager of the Ongoing Analysis Bureau at the Inter-Enterprise Strike Committee. In 1981 he was a delegate of the Gdansk branch of ‘Solidarity’ to the 1st National Congress of the Solidarnosc Independent and Self-Governing Trade Union (NSZZ Solidarnosc). He was elected a member of the programme commission.
Under martial law he was interned and kept in an internment camp in Strzebielinek from December 1981 to October 1982. From 1983 he took part in meetings of the Temporary Co-ordination Commission (TCC). From January 1986 he was a TCC member and in the years 1987-89 he became a member of the Secretariat of the National Executive Committee of NSZZ ‘Solidarnosc.’ From 1985 he was a member of the regional Council for Aid to Political Prisoners in Gdansk. In the mid 1980s, he was a member of Lech Walesa's ‘team.’
On 16 September 1988 he participated in talks between the opposition and representatives of the government in Magdalenka near Warsaw. From February to April 1989 he took part in the round table talks, working in a team dealing with the issue of pluralism of trade unions. In May 1990 he was appointed the 1st deputy chairman of NSZZ ‘Solidarność.’
From March 12th to October 31st, 1991 he was Minister of State in charge of Security in the Office of the President of the Republic of Poland, supervising the work of the National Security Bureau.
As the president of Poland from 2005 he paid attention to many essential matters concerning our Homeland, e.g. energetic security, historical memory, public finanses. He cared for a clear stand of Poland’s subjectivity in international relationships and Poland’s place in Europe. He conducted tough and wise foreign politics. He made the world aware that Poland was a big and wealthy country that others should consider its opinions and that could not ignore it. He negotiated the Treaty of Lisbon for a long time, speaking openly that the treaty limited our sovereignity.
During his presidency we got to know people thanks to whom Poland was set free from the Soviet chains. Thanks to the state disctinctions and promotions he reminded us of the forgotten heroes of World War II and the post-war period.
He restored the value of the words embroidered on the banners ‘God – Honour – Homeland.’ He restored pride of being a Pole, a descendant of wonderful Polish generations. The Polish people elected such a president in 2005. Today he is not with us any longer.
"Niedziela" 16/2010