Lech Kaczyński was a great European, he just wasn't a European at any cost. A few weeks have now passed since the tragic events in Smolensk that wiped out the lives of Poland's political elite, and it is time to consider the European testament of the late president.
Perhaps not the greatest public relations wonder, Lech Kaczyński was a statesman in his own particular way, and an intellectual with a clear vision for his country, who tried to stand above party politics and who sought justice for those who held privileged positions during the communist era and kept their influence after the transition of the early 90s. The latter brought him many enemies in his homeland.
Poland's late president was the kind of European that Brussels doesn't seem to like. He was disagreeable and uncomfortable, which did not suit most of his counterparts and indeed his domestic political rivals. He did not want to accept impunity for decades of communist terrorism and could not imagine how one can build a strong united Europe without justice and fair punishment. He warned us that we can and should not blindly trust the dogmatic multilateralism that is deified by so many in Brussels. He was so much more realistic than most about Poland's position in Europe, and Europe's role on the world scene. Uncomfortably realistic.
Lech Kaczyński reminded us of our dependence on the United States, and on the value of maintaining strong relations with the most stable democracy in the world. Often criticized for his trust and confidence in America, he recognized that Poland and Europe, not ultimately capable of self-defense, need the US - and no-one else - as their strongest partner.
He recognized the need for a prudent strategy on Russia, and rightfully pointed to the stranglehold the powerful empire in the Levant still has on parts of Central and Eastern Europe. He was one of the few to remind us of the ruthlessness with which Russia continues to treat its much less powerful neighbors, and of Russia's long-term strategy to increase its power reach.
With the death of Lech Kaczyński and of so many, too many, who really cared about Poland and put the interests of the country above their own political interests, the country has undoubtedly changed. We can only hope that their memory be kept alive and their legacy be carried on by a new generation with real political courage. Sadly these are, so far, nowhere to be seen on the political landscape.
