Lech Wałęsa published a post in which he stated that Prime Minister Jan Olszewski was for him “a traitor or a political fool”. At the same time, he expressed his appreciation for Tadeusz Mazowiecki. This is not the first time Wałęsa has used such harsh words toward figures associated with the independence camp. In 2019, he spoke in a similar manner about Kornel Morawiecki.
Lech Wałęsa has once again returned to disputes from the early years of the Third Polish Republic. The former president published a post on social media in which he referred to two former prime ministers: Tadeusz Mazowiecki and Jan Olszewski.
“For me, Prime Minister Olszewski was a traitor, or a political fool,” Wałęsa wrote.
At the same time, he noted that Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki “deserves all the glory”, although – as he added – he also made three serious political mistakes which, in his view, had far-reaching consequences for Poland.
Jan Olszewski remains one of the most important figures of the independence camp after 1989. He led the first government formed after the systemic transformation without the participation of communists and went down in history, among other things, for attempting to carry out lustration.
This is not the first time Wałęsa has used very harsh terms toward his former political opponents. His statement from 2019 concerning the late Kornel Morawiecki sparked significant controversy. After the death of the founder of Fighting Solidarity, Wałęsa said in one interview:
“They are making him into a hero. And him? In the middle of martial law, when we are being attacked from all sides, he shows off and establishes Fighting Solidarity. What was that? Betrayal. A traitor! I knew that he wouldn’t be able to show off like that now.”
These words were met with strong criticism from many political circles and former anti-communist opposition activists.