Die Presse - Austria | Friday, April 16, 2010
Controversial and unpopular
Many Poles feel that the late Polish President Lech Kaczyński should not be buried in the Wawel in Krakow, writes the daily Die Presse: "The period of dignified mourning and the will to refrain from capitalising politically on the death of a dozen Polish dignitaries has not lasted very long. ... This dispute really only concerns Poles. Nevertheless it is surprising that Stanisław Dziwisz, the archbishop of Kraków, evidently only consulted the families of the deceased before pressing ahead. Nevertheless the feelings of sympathy are commensurate with the nature of this tragedy. Is the archbishop unaware that during his life Lech Kaczyński was a relatively controversial politician with popularity ratings of just 20 percent shortly before his death? Does he really deserve to be buried beside [national hero] Tadeusz Kościuszko, Wladisław Sikorski [prime minister of the Polish exile government until 1943], Adam Mickiewicz [acclaimed poet] and Józef Piłsudski [first leader of independent Poland after 1918]?"
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