Jaroslaw Kaczynski announced on Monday that he will run in presidential elections being held to replace his identical twin brother the late Polish President Lech Kaczynski. The election date has been set for June 20.
Kaczynski will run for the right-wing Law and Justice Party, which was founded by the two brothers in 2001.
“The tragic end of the president of Poland and the loss of elite Polish patriots has this meaning for us: we must fulfill their mission,” Kaczynski said in a statement announcing his candidacy.
“Poland is our common, enormous responsibility. It requires overcoming personal suffering, and stepping up to the task at hand despite personal tragedy,” he continued. “That is why I made the decision to seek the office of the president of the Polish Republic.”
His main rival in the race will be Poland’s speaker of the House, Bronislaw Komorowski, who is currently acting as interim president in accordance with Polish Constitution when a president dies in office. Komorowski will run for the Civil Platform Party.
Before the disaster, elections were originally planned for the autumn. The late President Lech Kaczynski planned to run for a second term, although his opinion poll rating had been steadily declining before the accident.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, 60, is known for his harsh management style. During 2006-2007 Kaczynski was primer minister under his brother and was criticized in business circles for the unpopular decisions including increasing business taxes and vetoing certain economic reforms proposed by Civic Platform Party. He was also blamed for worsening diplomatic ties with Germany, Russia, and the European Union.
He never married, spending considerable time caring for his ailing mother.
In 2007, he stepped down from the prime minister’s post, and was replaced by Donald Tusk, a member of Civic Platform Party.
The late president’s anti-Russian policies often caused conflict between himself and Tusk, who leans more toward Russia.
Analysts say it is not clear whether the tragedy will have an impact on the election results.
On April 10, the first couple and 94 others, including many of Poland’s elite from politics, the military, and clergy, were killed when the president’s plane crashed near Smolensk city in Russia in heavy fog killing everyone on board.
President Kaczynski and his wife Maria were buried in a royal crypt of the historic Wawel Cathedral in Krakow, next to the grave of Poland’s revered independence leader, Jozef Pilsudski. The choice to bury the couple there was a controversial one as Wawel is traditionally reserved for the nation’s heroes, including poets and kings.
Both Polish and Russian investigators are continuing investigations into the cause of the crash. Polish officials have promise to announce the first results this week.
Kaczynski will run for the right-wing Law and Justice Party, which was founded by the two brothers in 2001.
“The tragic end of the president of Poland and the loss of elite Polish patriots has this meaning for us: we must fulfill their mission,” Kaczynski said in a statement announcing his candidacy.
“Poland is our common, enormous responsibility. It requires overcoming personal suffering, and stepping up to the task at hand despite personal tragedy,” he continued. “That is why I made the decision to seek the office of the president of the Polish Republic.”
His main rival in the race will be Poland’s speaker of the House, Bronislaw Komorowski, who is currently acting as interim president in accordance with Polish Constitution when a president dies in office. Komorowski will run for the Civil Platform Party.
Before the disaster, elections were originally planned for the autumn. The late President Lech Kaczynski planned to run for a second term, although his opinion poll rating had been steadily declining before the accident.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, 60, is known for his harsh management style. During 2006-2007 Kaczynski was primer minister under his brother and was criticized in business circles for the unpopular decisions including increasing business taxes and vetoing certain economic reforms proposed by Civic Platform Party. He was also blamed for worsening diplomatic ties with Germany, Russia, and the European Union.
He never married, spending considerable time caring for his ailing mother.
In 2007, he stepped down from the prime minister’s post, and was replaced by Donald Tusk, a member of Civic Platform Party.
The late president’s anti-Russian policies often caused conflict between himself and Tusk, who leans more toward Russia.
Analysts say it is not clear whether the tragedy will have an impact on the election results.
On April 10, the first couple and 94 others, including many of Poland’s elite from politics, the military, and clergy, were killed when the president’s plane crashed near Smolensk city in Russia in heavy fog killing everyone on board.
President Kaczynski and his wife Maria were buried in a royal crypt of the historic Wawel Cathedral in Krakow, next to the grave of Poland’s revered independence leader, Jozef Pilsudski. The choice to bury the couple there was a controversial one as Wawel is traditionally reserved for the nation’s heroes, including poets and kings.
Both Polish and Russian investigators are continuing investigations into the cause of the crash. Polish officials have promise to announce the first results this week.
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