The former Polish president and Nobel Peace Prize, Lech Waęsa, appeals to systemic changes to safeguard democracy and avoid the emergence of populist leaders.
Lech Waęsa, former president of Poland and key figure in the struggle for democracy in the country, acknowledged, in an exclusive interview with Euronews, that generational errors have been made, but that the solutions begin to emerge. Despite being out of power for almost three decades, Waęsa remains deeply linked to the political realities of Poland and the world. In recent years, the defense of democracy has become one of the main concerns of the former leader.
“See what is happening today in the world: Trump, France, Germany. What conclusion should our generation take? We have to improve democracy because people no longer believe in it or defend it,” said Waęsa.
The former president considers that elected employees must be subject to revocation and that the financing of political and political parties must be totally transparent. “This generation should prioritize these three points in all political programs. Only then can we restore confidence in democracy and guarantee their defense. Otherwise, populist demagogues will load our world,” Waęsa warned.
Waęsa has expressed concern about the current state of democracy, stating that many countries still work with obsolete political systems. He appealed to the development of new systems that reflect the evolution of the world landscape. “The construction of the State we know ended at the end of the 20th century. Democracy, as we understand it, ended at the end of the 19th century. What does the left or right mean today? They are obsolete concepts that no longer fit our times.”
According to Waęsa, the task of the new generation is to redefine the world and restore confidence in democracy. He emphasized the need for public speech and new ideas to arise from these conversations.
Concerns about the future of Ukraine
By discussing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Waęsa expressed concern about the possibility of imposing a bad commitment to kyiv after agreeing on the terms of the high fire of the United States. “Ukraine is defending himself from Russian aggression, but what he is doing is also an choice of civilization. What Russia and even Trump represent is a regression, a return in development,” said Waęsa.
The president of the European Parliament also expressed his opinion that the peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are not enough to cause a lasting change. “Even if we help Ukraine win today, Russia will be raised again in ten or fifteen years if we do not help her change her political system,” he warned. For Waęsa, the key to long -term stability lies in the construction of a civil society in Russia.
Waęsa also emphasized that the West sometimes played a role in the impulse of the aggressive position of Russian President Vladimir Putin. “There was a time when Putin was in the right way. But the way the world treated him as a ‘bandit’ pushed him in the wrong direction,” he said, added that the qualifications of world leaders should be moderate. “We have to be careful with our judgments and first consider what we are doing ourselves.”
The former president described three principles that, in his opinion, could help stabilize political life and governance. Waęęsa argued that politicians should be limited to two terms to avoid the concentration of power. Drawing a parallel with Russia, he said: “It is not Putin or Stalin: it is the political system that generates authoritarianism. Russia is a beautiful country, it only has a bad political system.”
The danger of weapons and weapons development
In line with his belief in peaceful solutions, Waęsa criticized the breed towards weapons, including the development of nuclear weapons, as a path that leads to destructive results. Although he recognized the need for effective defense mechanisms, he warned against the temptation to attack. “If we continue in this way, we will all lose. The only reason to defend ourselves is to create space for reflection and systemic changes. Without that there will be no winners. We will all be defeated,” Waęsa concluded.
