Walesa tries to make his peace with dead president

16th April 2010

Lech Walesa has asked God for “forgiveness” for his behaviour towards President Lech Kaczynski and expressed deep regret that they were unable to the heal the wounds of a bitter feud that had tainted the relationship between them for years.

Speaking just hours after the president had died in the Smolensk air disaster, a shocked Lech Walesa spoke about the need to make peace with Lech Kaczynski.

“I forgive and I ask God for forgiveness because I was not forgiven,” the Solidarity hero said in a television interview, describing the Smolensk crash as an “inconceivable tragedy, an inconceivable disaster”.

The two had been involved in a long and bitter feud since the early 19 ...