Statement by the Slovenian President on the Death of the Polish President

Ljubljana, 10.4.2010  |  press release

I received the news of the tragic death of Lech Kaczyński, President of the Republic of Poland, his wife Maria and the delegation travelling to the memorial ceremony on the 70th anniversary of the massacre of Polish soldiers and officers in Katyn Forest with shock and profound sadness. The historical trauma of the Polish people has now been deepened by another tragedy, which has shocked the entire world and made a deep impression on our time.

The death of President Kaczyński and all those who travelled with him is a great loss for modern Poland and Europe. President Kaczyński made an exceptional contribution to the victory and consolidation of democracy in Poland and Europe and was a one of the prominent political leaders of our time.

In these first moments of bewilderment and sadness, I particularly recall our meetings and discussions on various occasions. In November 2008, President Kaczyński paid an official visit to Slovenia and, last autumn, I also visited Poland. We also met and talked on several other occasions. He was a witty and interesting conversationalist, who firmly believed in his arguments and knew how to advocate them. However, he was also capable of listening to a counter argument and sincerely believed in the principle of pluralism of opinions. His views of various international political issues, including those related to the European Union, were well-founded and interesting, and always enriched the content of discussions.

On the occasion of this tragic loss, I would like to express my profound condolences to the relatives of the late President Lech Kaczyński and his wife Maria, to the Government of the Republic of Poland and to the citizens of Poland, both on my own behalf and on behalf of the citizens of the Republic of Slovenia.


Dr Danilo Türk,
President of the Republic of Slovenia