I’ve been getting grief from my liberal friends about Lech Wałęsa’s endorsement of Mitt Romney. Some of this is over what he regards as a personal slight from Barack Obama; some of it is because of Wałęsa’s stongly held social conservatism.
Solidarność, the labor movement he once headed, doesn’t share Wałęsa’s enthusiasm for Romney. They released a statement:
In relation to Lech Walesa’s meeting with Mitt Romney, a candidate for President of the USA, I wish to inform that NSZZ “Solidarnosc” is in no way involved in the organization of this meeting nor had the initiative to invite Mitt Romney to Poland.
Regretfully, we have learned from our friends in the American trade union central AFL-CIO, representing over 12 million workers, about Mitt Romney’s support for the attacks against trade unions and labor rights. In this respect, I wish to express, on behalf of the President of NSZZ “Solidarnosc” Piotr Duda, our solidarity with American workers and trade unions. NSZZ “Solidarnosc” will always support the AFL-CIO in their struggle for the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively.
Wałęsa dropped his membership in Solidarność back in 2006 in a political dispute. Solidarność threw in with the Law and Justice party, while Wałęsa was a supporter of Civic Platform. The two center right parties were then and remain the two main parties in parliament.
Piotr Duda, the current head of Solidarność, has also written a letter in support of public employees in Wisconsin.
