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Lech Walesa

Lech Walesa Quotes

Former President of Poland

Lech Wałęsa (born September 29, 1943) is a Polish statesman, former President of Poland (1990-1995), and Nobel Peace Prize laureate (1983). He co-founded the Solidarity trade union movement, leading nonviolent resistance against communist rule. Starting as an electrician at the Gdańsk Shipyard, he organized strikes in 1980 that forced government concessions. His activism culminated in Poland's peaceful transition to democracy in 1989. As president, he oversaw economic reforms and NATO integration. Wałęsa remains a global icon for freedom and human rights.

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All People World Communism Nations Ifs Solidarity Poland Polish Democracy Dignity

Famous Lech Walesa Quotes

“The people in Poland had to deal with painful reforms.”

People Deals Painful Reform Poland

Author:Lech Walesa

“You should go to the polls, organize yourself. But once lawmakers are chosen, they must be respected.”

Should Chosen Organize Polls Lawmakers

Author:Lech Walesa

“My most ardent desire is that my country will recapture its historic opportunity for a peaceful evolution and that Poland will prove to the world that even the most complex situations can be solved by a dialogue and not by force.”

World Country Desire Opportunity Force Situation Evolution Prove Complexes Dialogue Peaceful Historic Ardent Poland

Author:Lech Walesa

“Obviously people want social calm, but if you do not let clever and ingenious people to participate, obviously there must be some dormant volcano that will erupt, sooner or later.”

People Ifs Want Social Calm Clever Sooner Or Later Ingenious Volcanoes Dormant

Author:Lech Walesa

“The politicians always told us that the Cold War stand-off could only change by way of nuclear war. None of them believed that such systemic change was possible.”

Way War Cold Politician Nuclear Cold War Nuclear War Systemic Change

Author:Lech Walesa

“I belong to the generation of workers who, born in the villages and hamlets of rural Poland, had the opportunity to acquire education and find employment in industry, becoming in the course conscious of their rights and importance in society.”

Courses Opportunity Born Education Rights Generations Industry Becoming Conscious Importance Workers Employment Acquire Village Poland

Author:Lech Walesa

“I use many different gadgets connected with computers; I use PCs, laptops and a Palm Pilot. I also use the Internet to visit websites, especially within Polish-language Internet. I usually go to political discussion groups and sites - of course, as I use my real name, people never believe that they are chatting with me!”

People Believe Different Real Use Political Courses Names Language Groups Internet Computer Connected Discussion Pilots Site Palms Polish Website Laptops Gadgets Chatting

Author:Lech Walesa

“Lying at the root of the social agreements of 1980 are the courage, sense of responsibility, and the solidarity of the working people. Both sides have then recognized that an accord must be reached if bloodshed is to be prevented.”

People Ifs Lying Social Sides Responsibility Courage Roots Agreement Solidarity Both Sides Accord Bloodshed Sense Of Responsibility

Author:Lech Walesa

“My country is in the grips of a major economic crisis. This is causing dramatic consequences for the very existence of Polish families. A permanent economic crisis in Poland may also have serious repercussions for Europe. Thus, Poland ought to be helped and deserves help.”

May Country Helping Existence Economic Serious Ought Majors Deserve Consequence Europe Crisis Permanent Dramatic Polish Poland Repercussions Economic Crisis

Author:Lech Walesa

“My youth passed at the time of the country's reconstruction from the ruins and ashes of the war in which my nation never bowed to the enemy paying the highest price in the struggle.”

War Country Nations Enemy Struggle Youth Highest Ruins Ashes Reconstruction

Author:Lech Walesa

“This conviction brought me, in the summer of 1978, to the Free Trade Unions - formed by a group of courageous and dedicated people who came out in the defense of the workers' rights and dignity.”

People Rights Groups Summer Dignity Trade Unions Workers Conviction Defense Courageous Dedicated Free Trade Trade Unions Workers Rights

Author:Lech Walesa

“What until then seemed impossible to achieve has become a fact of life. We have won the right to association in trade unions independent from the authorities, founded and shaped by the working people themselves.”

People Facts Impossible Achieve Authority Independent Trade Unions Association Facts Of Life Trade Unions

Author:Lech Walesa

“When I recall my own path of life I cannot but speak of the violence, hatred and lies. A lesson drawn from such experiences, however, was that we can effectively oppose violence only if we ourselves do not resort to it.”

Ifs Lying Speak My Own Path Violence Lessons Hatred Deceit Life Lesson Recalls Resorts

Author:Lech Walesa

“When I was fighting communism, there was rapid development of satellite television and cell phones, and communism, to survive, would have to block all these information devices.”

Fighting Information Television Development Phones Block Cells Communism Devices Rapids Cell Phone Satellites

Author:Lech Walesa

“We respect the dignity and the rights of every man and every nation. The path to a brighter future of the world leads through honest reconciliation of the conflicting interests and not through hatred and bloodshed. To follow that path means to enhance the moral power of the all-embracing idea of human solidarity.”

Men World Humans Mean Ideas Nations Interest Moral Path Rights Honest Morality Future Respect Dignity Hatred Every Man Solidarity Reconciliation Brighter Bloodshed Brighter Future

Author:Lech Walesa

“Words are plentiful; deeds are precious.”

Greatness Deeds Plentiful

Author:Lech Walesa

“In many parts of the world the people are searching for a solution which would link the two basic values: peace and justice. The two are like bread and salt for mankind.”

People World Two Values Justice Mankind Solutions Bread Links Salt Peace And Justice Problems And Solutions Solution To A Problem

Author:Lech Walesa

“This is the moment of your defeat; you have just put in the last nails in the coffin of communism.”

War Moments Lasts Cold Defeat Communism Nails Cold War Coffins

Author:Lech Walesa

“Our firm conviction that ours is a just cause and that we must find a peaceful way to attain our goals gave us the strength and the awareness of the limits beyond which we must not go.”

Way Love Causes Peace Goal Awareness Limits Conviction Peaceful Firm Setting Goals

Author:Lech Walesa

“I only fear God, and my wife - sometimes.”

Sometimes Wife My Wife Fear God

Author:Lech Walesa

“President Lech Kaczynski is not at all active in Poland and his image abroad leaves a lot to be desired.”

President Active Poland

Author:Lech Walesa

“Irrespective of todays judgment and the price we had to pay in this generation, we were able to close an epoch of divisions, different blocs and borders, opening the way for an era of globalization.”

Way Different Today Able Pay Generations Judgment Opening Eras Borders Division Globalization This Generation Epoch

Author:Lech Walesa

“I believed it would succeed. It was Polish Solidarity and its victory that put an end to the old era when what mattered were borders and rival blocs.”

Ends Victory Succeed Eras Borders Solidarity Rivals Polish

Author:Lech Walesa

“Without a single shot we've managed to liberate the world of communism but now there is a need for a global solidarity.”

World Needs Shots Communism Solidarity

Author:Lech Walesa

“The defense of our rights and our dignity, as well as efforts never to let ourselves to be overcome by the feeling of hatred - this is the road we have chosen.”

Wells Feelings Effort Rights Dignity Hatred Overcoming Defense Chosen

Author:Lech Walesa

“The United States is only one superpower. Today they lead the world. Nobody has doubts about it. Militarily. They also lead economically but they're getting weak. But they don't lead morally and politically anymore. The world has no leadership. The United States was always the last resort and hope for all other nations. There was the hope, whenever something was going wrong, one could count on the United States. Today, we lost that hope.”

World States Today Lasts Lost Nations United United States Virtue Doubt Weak Resorts Piety Superpower

Author:Lech Walesa

“When he saw injustice, he wanted to do away with it. He saw communism, and he wanted to put an end to it.”

War Ends Wanted Saws Cold Injustice Communism Cold War

Author:Lech Walesa

“We must be courageous but also reasonable. The world admires us for walking a tightrope without falling off. It asks us to keep our balance.”

World Wisdom Fall Asks Fun Balance Walking Admire Reasonable Courageous Admiration Be Courageous Falling Off

Author:Lech Walesa

“Everyone wants a voice in human freedom. There's a fire burning inside all of us.”

Want Humans Voice Fire Burning Human Freedom Fire Burning Burning Inside

Author:Lech Walesa

“Freedom may be the soul of humanity, but often you have to struggle to prove it.”

May Soul Humanity Freedom Struggle Prove Prove It

Author:Lech Walesa

“You have riches and freedom here but I feel no sense of faith or direction. You have so many computers, why don't you use them in the search for love?”

Feels Use Faith Computer Riches Searching For Love

Author:Lech Walesa

“The hope of the nation which throughout the nineteenth century had not for a moment reconciled itself with the loss of independence, and fighting for its own freedom, fought at the same time for the freedom of other nations.”

Moments Fighting Nations Loss Century Independence Nineteenth Century

Author:Lech Walesa

“"It all came from there," Lech Walesa said, pointing to a TV when a reporter asked him why communism fell.”

Said Television Tvs Communism Reporters Pointing

Author:Lech Walesa

“I think if I got a bicycle from my father, I should give a car to my son.”

Ifs Thinking Giving Should Father Car Son Evolution My Son Bicycle

Author:Lech Walesa

“Capitalism is in crisis.”

Capitalism Crisis

Author:Lech Walesa

“Communists are great capitalists, so there is no threat anymore.”

Threat Communist Capitalist

Author:Lech Walesa

“For now, capitalism is working to produce more money but does not see the people. This problem is getting worse across the world.”

People World Doe Problem Produce Capitalism More Money

Author:Lech Walesa

“The program of our movement stems from the fundamental moral laws and order.”

Law Order Moral Movement Program Fundamentals Stem Law And Order Moral Law

Author:Lech Walesa

“Democracy is made up of three elements. One is whether the laws support pluralistic principles. The second is whether the people take advantage of these laws. The third element is whether the peoples' wallets are thick enough to benefit from this democracy.”

People Made Enough Law Three Principles Support Democracy Elements Benefits Advantage Thirds Thick Wallets

Author:Lech Walesa

About the Author

Born: September 29, 1943
Known for: Former President of Poland
Quotes: 89

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People World Communism Nations Ifs Solidarity Poland Polish Democracy Dignity

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