On April 10th 2010, the president of Poland, Lech Kaczynski, died in a plane crash along with Poland's army chief, central bank governor, MP's, leading historians and 80 other passengers. The Polish delegation was flying to Smolensk, Russia from Warsaw, Poland to mark the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre of thousands of Poles by Soviet forces during WWII. The plane hit trees as it approached Smolensk airport in thick fog after ignoring the warning from air traffic control to divert to another airport. This tragedy marks a significant milestone which might change the lives of many Polish people. I wonder, what will become of this leader-less nation? A government spokesman said that according to the constitution there would be an early presidential election, and the speaker of the lower house of parliament, Bronislaw Komorowski, would be acting president. Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, keeps his spirit up: "The Polish state must function and will function."
Thousands of people gathered outside the presidential palace in Warsaw to lay flowers and light candles.
Just a few days ago I was doing a paper on Poland's economy; they were on their way with social reforms and a developing economy. I hope they're able to continue flourishing after this calamity.
Above; Left: President Lech Kaczynski, Right: Chairman of the Law and Justice Party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski
Interesting Fact: In 2007, Lech Kaczynski's identical twin, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, was Prime Minister while he was president. This must have been a confusing period in Polish politics. Imagine the competitiveness between them, and the family pressure they must have been under. Also, in a way, it was kind of like a monarchy.
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