 Ed has been living in Poland for something approaching ten years. A graduate of history, he has worked for the BBC, CNBC European Business Magazine, Central European News, Independent radio, and the UK tabloids. He is currently working for TVN CNBC and CEN and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Journalists.
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Getting cross Friday 13th August, 2010
"It should have buttocks on it and be giving moonies"
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With a flurry of déjà vu the Smolensk cross has returned to dominate news headlines this week. Not that it ever really left.
But this week saw intensified activity as thousands of anti-cross protestors faced off against pro-cross supporters and the new president tried to mollify things by sticking up a plaque outside the palace to commemorate the Smolensk victims instead.
That could’ve worked and been an ingenious solution to a problem that should never have existed, except it came way too late.
Naturally the loons didn’t like it - they hadn’t been consulted, they said.
But whereas last week saw ‘normal’ people recoil in horror at the fanaticism of those protesting against the moving of the cross, this week has seen a shaking of heads - an impatience born of tedium.
‘Normal’ people are bored with it and want to move on.
The cross has become a sort of ASBO wild child, drawing weirdos from across the country into yobbish behaviour - it should have buttocks on it and be giving moonies.
And in effect that is what it has been doing - at the government. But rather than giving it a slap - or following last week’s ruling on child battering, a good telling off and sending it to bed - the government has dealt with the unruly yob-cross as effectively as a rhinoceros attempting ballet.
And that’s unfortunate for a number of reasons, not least because this week also marked Tusk’s first 1,000 days in government.
That has been completely overshadowed by the cross debacle - but maybe that’s not such a bad thing.
His inability to be decisive over moving a wooden cross is merely a reflection of a greater inability to deal with far more pressing problems facing Poland.
Mr Tusk, we like you but for goodness sake stop pussy footing around.
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