Facebook
RSS
There are people who, no matter which emotions they arouse in others, become the point of reference for the contemporaries.
Tadeusz Mazowiecki was such a person.
When met personally for the first time, he seemed to be humble, withdrawn, reserved and distrustful. But when you started to talk to him about his passion and even a part of his personality – about Poland – he became enthusiastic and open – ready to discuss and defend his views.
We owe to him emotions connected with August days of 1989, when we were observing in disbelief how the government was being created under his leadership. He was a rare example of a strong personality able to cooperate with other people who were equally strong, let me mention for instance Jacek Kuroń or Leszek Balcerowicz.
Tadeusz Mazowiecki led us to democracy. There has never been another government so consistent in reforms. In Krzyżowa, he indicated a new course of the relationships with Germany, he opened the way towards the European Union. He decentralized Poland by introducing local authorities. Under his leadership, Leszek Balcerowicz was creating the framework of market economy.
There have been many prime ministers after 1989, Mazowiecki was one of a kind.
As a political leader, he taught us modern patriotism – a non-insurgent and prostate one, based on understanding, compromise and the search for the things which connect us, not divide. Even when Polish politics was rotting because of populism he stood out with his prudence, consistency in serving the country and he served Poland right to the end as the adviser of the President of the Republic of Poland.
He covered a long way of serving Poland and always treated politics as ideological mission, never as the realization of his ambitions. His death is an irreparable loss, we have lost a great Pole.
I remember a meeting in a university lecture hall, when announcement of Tadeusz Mazowiecki’s speech was welcomed with applause. The Prime Minister smiled in a way typical for him and said: “Thank you for warm welcome. I wonder if you will applaud me when I say what I have to say and finish.” Mr. Tadeusz – we are applauding you.
Translation: Anita Stradomska.
4 Comments
To a potential reader… Opinion represented by the author, is just one point of view on theis person – a very naive and very missleading. The vast majority of Polish people have quite oposit feeling about those individuals mentioned here. The Balcerowicz was the Finance Minister and the only person in Poland at that time, that studied the western, free market based economy. Ofcourse the fact that he studied, doesnt mean he learned anything and for sure do not make him an expert. Mazowiecki was his supervisor and he had no idea at all about economy, management or administration, same as the rest of the whole Walensa crew – bunch of red necks on the run for luxurios live, that was reseved to communists before. All they had to do , was to impose some set of healthy rules for the emerging economy of Poland, that would allow people to work and earn money under the new conditions. What the achieved was total eradication of Polish industry – literaly every single factory in Poland wasn shut down, cause they didn't think we might need them. They introduced over 10000% inflation, resulting in loss of all of the savings, people of Poland gathered over 50 years – all of the money that was in possesion of the Poles dispeared almost over night. Ofcourse not the money the gang of Walesa owned – cause they didnt own anything except the debts – bank loans, that were accessible only to them and the comunists – poeple with influence… And thanks to the inflation, they could pay those loans with pocket money. Imagine that! They took a loan, they built a house for that money, and then they could pay it back with a single monthly payroll. At the same time everyone else los everything… This is just a tip of the iceberg – no we, people of Poland do not value this pranks – we hade them truly. And mr Celinski himself too – as he is one of group that sould their souls and our lifes for silver coins… Total dissrespect for those bastards.