So, the same politicians that did not get that excited about meeting Kasparov, did have something else to look forward to.
They were cheering the imminent arrival of the former Polish President, Lech Walesa.
I have to say, this did impress me, too. As the leader of the Polish trade union, Solidarity, Walesa led the fight against communism in Poland and was awarded the Nobel Peace Price in 1993 in recognition of his efforts. He attributes much of his success to the Polish-born Pope John Paul II, whose support and moral authority Walesa valued highly. It is hard to meet someone who has achieved something so extraordinary and not be impressed. He is a man who was made for his time and met the challenges of it head-on.
The difficult nature of the timing of his presence, however, was not discussed at the conference, anywhere and I was surprised about that. The EU has issued the Polish government with a warning, on competition grounds, about the subsidies that it offers to the Gdansk shipyards were Solidarity first took hold. This is an iconic place for Poles, and rightly so. Sadly, without the subsidies the yards have little future. Somehow, they seem less worried by this than I had expected. It seems that the Poles have moved on from their past and are happier to abide by the rules of their present. That says a lot that is positive about them, too.
Well, I was one of those not excited about Gary Kasparov but am now convince – he is hugely significant in Russian politics. But Lech Walesa was, for me, a highlight. He achieved so much. To hear a modest address, from an elderly shipyard worker clearly not in the best of health,who humbly attributed so much of what he and his colleages did to the inspiration of Pope John Paul II was memorable and inspirational.
Comment by Clare Whelan — 27 September, 2007 @ 9:29 pm