The members of Solidarity, a trade union once led by the former president of Poland, Lech Walesa, should be beaten according to Walesa. The reason for the beating, according to Walesa, is because of the protest they ran in Warsaw last week. Walesa led the labor movement in the 1980s, which was focused on personal and ideological differences. Now, the group is more concerned with a strong welfare state. Solidarity helped to take down the communist rule in the 1980s as well.
Solidarity ran a protest last week in front of Poland’s parliament. The group was protesting a new law that would increase the retirement age in the country. The bill was passed on Friday by lawmakers and a fight ensued. When lawmakers attempted to leave the building they were blockaded by members of Solidarity, which caused a minor scuffle.
Walesa, who is incredibly outspoken, said that Prime Minister Donald Tusk should have dealt with the protestors firmly. Walesa, 68, also said that the lawmakers of the country should be respected. Tusk fought for the increase in the retirement age and is a pro-market leader.
“If I were in prime minister Tusk’s position, I would order an attack on the demonstrators to pay them back,” Walesa said. Walesa has won a Nobel Peace Prize. “Authority must be respected and chosen wisely. You should go to the polls, organize yourself. But once lawmakers are chosen, they must be respected.”
The person interviewing Walesa, Monika Olejnik, found the irony in the fact that a Nobel Peace Prize winner suggested a beating and asked, “A Nobel peace prize laureate, a former leader of Solidarity, would beat the leader of Solidarity?”
“As a prime minister, I would have the right to do it,” Walesa said. Walesa went as far to say that the leader of Solidarity, Piotr Duda, should receive a beating singularly and that he would have liked to dole it out on Duda.
“I would do it myself. I would beat him for not being able to wisely arrange the political relations in free Poland,” Walesa said.
Walesa was an icon for freedom in the 20th century but not long after an unsuccessful five-year appearance as the country’s president, Walesa has lost some popularity. He was viewed as an authoritarian president. Walesa ended his membership in Solidarity in 2006 by saying that he became estranged from the group’s leaders because they support Law and Justice, which is a conservative and nationalist party opposed to Tusk.