For the past several months, nothing else has been discussed in Poland but the presidential election. The media constantly provided fresh information about each candidate—and, let me remind you, at the beginning there were “only” 27 of them, so there was plenty to watch and listen to. Each candidate seemed to think they were the best person for the office of president; the others were either SB officers or Jelcyn’s envoys—for I heard opinions like that as well. Each candidate said that their program was the best: one wanted to appoint a government of experts, another wanted to present their program, but only after being elected, while a third apparently did not fully understand the essence of the process of appointing the government and the Sejm that they themselves had devised. The journalists of II TVP prepared a rather interesting surprise for the candidates. Through their probing and candid questions, they skilfully guided a candidate into a situation where they would back themselves into a “corner” and make a fool of themselves. The more intelligent candidates managed to avoid the traps laid for them, thereby gaining the voters’ respect. The journalists themselves were not entirely sure whether some candidates really wanted to be president, or whether they were doing it only for fame or because it was part of their artistic life. In short, whether they were simply putting on a cabaret. It was particularly outrageous that one candidate used the suffering of the Jewish people in their election campaign by printing hopeless jokes. I think that not even watching the famous film “Schindler’s List” would have helped change their views. Another candidate claimed that taxes and high interest rates on loans were theft in “broad daylight.” As soon as they became president, they would immediately put an end to it. Others, seeking support from the Church, promised in return to grant it autonomy. I would not want what I have written above to be interpreted as an insult. That was not my intention. These are merely my opinions and judgments. I have only shown how I personally perceived the recent election campaign. It seemed ridiculous to me and embarrassing for our country. The candidates differed greatly in their sense of the responsibility they were taking on—apparently, not all of them fully realised the seriousness of the office. I think that most voters, when casting their ballots, were torn between putting an “x” according to their hearts or their common sense.
Finally, I would like to quote a sentence I heard that aptly describes some of the candidates: “I regret having lived to see such a democracy, in which even a cleaner can run for the office of president”