Polish President Lech Kaczynski

Delivering his presidential oath at a National Assembly gathering on December 23rd, 2005 Lech Kaczynski became the third democratically elected head of state in post-war Poland. Thus a conservative politician succeeded Aleksander Kwasniewski, hailing from the communist rooted left, who held the post for two terms since 1995.

Assessing Lech Kaczynski's three years in office, most politicians and analysts agree that the President scored greater success in his foreign policy than in domestic affairs. A serious and often repeated reservation is the influence of his twin brother Jaroslaw, leader of the major opposition Law and Justice party (PiS), on Lech Kaczynski's key decisions. Critics quote low popularity ratings of the President, while supporters claim Lech Kaczynski's presidency falls in a difficult period of transformations in Poland marked by exceptional challenges.

Click on the audio icon to listen to the report by Slawek Szefs.