“I am glad and deeply satisfied, especially in the context of President Karol Nawrocki’s visit to the White House. This is a continuation of the relations whose foundation I certainly laid together with President Donald Trump during my presidency. We have seen that President Karol Nawrocki knows very well how to maintain this relationship with President Donald Trump,” emphasized former President of Poland Andrzej Duda in an interview for TV Republika.
Return to normal life
During the conversation on Republika, Ilona Januszewska quoted a passage from President Andrzej Duda’s book, where he pointed out that throughout 10 years of his presidency he and his wife were unable to celebrate even their wedding anniversary in a special way. Even abroad, it is impossible to walk down the street without drawing attention. The host then asked whether he had managed to invite his wife on a date.
My story from the last four weeks became somewhat famous. In Krakow, near our apartment, we went for a walk and asked the SOP (State Protection Service) officers not to follow us. Since generally the security standards for a former president are not as strict as for a sitting one, we were truly left alone and went for a walk together. Some may laugh at this, but for us it was a big experience to walk down the street just the two of us without anyone accompanying us. It felt very nice – like dating again – noted the former President of Poland.
Andrzej Duda also reminded that the most important element of life after a presidential mission is the fact that one no longer bears responsibility. “In today’s times, when the issue of Poland’s security is so important, that is a heavy burden which, for me, has now disappeared,” he said.
“I regret no decision”
Ilona Januszewska asked what Andrzej Duda was like after 10 years of presidency compared to before.
“Certainly more experienced than I was 10 years ago. Certainly with an incomparable amount of political, international, geopolitical, and also personal experience. Fortunately, I still feel full of energy and strong enough to do something good. I will definitely want to do something good. I am open to different challenges that, I hope, life will bring,” emphasized the former President of Poland.
Andrzej Duda noted that as president he made thousands of decisions, and he regrets none of them.
“I know that some people would like to hear otherwise, but every decision brought positive results. I have no doubt about that. There were also things that had to be pushed through or blocked, despite the screams, whining, and unpleasant words I heard,” reminded the former President of Poland.
Andrzej Duda’s policy line will be continued
In his conversation with Republika, Andrzej Duda pointed out that he managed to break the official record for visits by a President of Poland to the White House within a single term, which demonstrated the closeness of Polish-American relations.
This happened during my first presidential term, which was also the first term of President Trump. No Polish president was received at the White House so many times. I hope that President Karol Nawrocki will break this record and that this policy line will be continued to the benefit of Poland’s security and our cooperation with the USA – in energy, defense, and the economy – noted the former President of Poland.
The guest of TV Republika also referred to the invitation of Polish President Karol Nawrocki to the G20 summit scheduled for next year.
“This is very exciting news and extremely important for Poland. It shows a very good future for our country. I hope that thanks to good cooperation, the President of the USA will open this path for Poland as a member of the G20,” said Andrzej Duda.
Dreams for Poland and for Andrzej Duda
Asked about his dream, he replied that he would like Poland to grow stronger. “I wish President Karol Nawrocki to be a better president than I was. That Nawrocki’s presidency will be more successful than mine, in the sense that he will build even greater strength for Poland and further strengthen the security of our country. This is also personally important to me. If Poland becomes more prosperous, if we Poles earn better, if we have a better material situation and are more respected in the world, then that is the dream I hope to pass on to my grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and future generations. We are building Poland for them, and we are striving for them,” reminded Andrzej Duda.
As for more down-to-earth matters, the former president would like to go to the mountains. “For now, I have a lot of work because I am signing copies of my book. I have already signed several tens of thousands. I even showed how I do it. I would like my fellow citizens, after reading this book, to know why I made certain decisions and not others. Not only in the sense of what I was thinking at the moment the decision was made. I did not write only about the presidency, but also about where I came from,” he emphasized.