by Sławomir Majman
For the third time in six years, Poland is getting a prime minister that I heard of for the first time when he was nominated.
The first time was when Lech Wałęsa's eye rested on the head of a small Gdańsk-based consulting company, Jan Krzysztof Bielecki. The name didn't ring any bells for me, though my friends stuck photos in my face, showing myself standing next to the short, shy-looking bearded man.
I compromised myself the second time when people asked me about another new prime minister, Hanna Suchocka, the daughter of a provincial pharmacist, who had been occupying the back bench in parliament for many years.
Now, just like all of Poland, I'm having to guess who Prof. Jerzy Buzek is. It must come as a surprise that the largely conservatively Catholic-even fundamentalist-Solidarity Election Action (AWS) has selected the first Protestant prime minister since the time of the great Marshal Józef Piłsudski.
One thing is certain about Buzek-he's from Cieszyn Silesia.
He's from that sliver of Poland next to the Czech Republic that for hundreds of years belonged to Austria. Not from the rootless, chaotic Warsaw magma, not from the migrant kingdom of Gdańsk's worker hostels. Buzek comes from a family long settled in the same place in Lutheran Silesia, a land where for generations Poles prayed by working.
Polish people say that foreigners place too much importance on Buzek's deep Lutheranism. I disagree. The nominee prime minister's roots and faith prove that there are still stable values to be found in the Polish soup pot that the spoon of history has been stirring this way and that. They prove that Poland is more varied than would appear at first glance.
From the mid-16th century the Lutherans were here at home, while Catholicism was forced upon them by foreigners, the Habsburgs. In a climate of persecution, Lutheranism in the Zaolzie region consolidated, becoming a symbol of endurance. Hence the folk saying, "tough as a Luther from Cieszyn." This saying is obviously unknown to Freedom Union (UW) leaders, who are under the delusion that they're facing a kind, gentle prime minister.
From the mid-19th century, a national trend developed on the basis of Lutheranism in Zaolzie. Continuous activity on the part of rural ministers and teachers bore extraordinary fruit. The Cieszyn area was the first niche of Polish independence in 1918. It was where the first Polish administration was set up after years of partitions. Lutheranism has remained the base for ardent patriotism among the Silesian people.
Illiteracy was practically unknown there. Cieszyn peasants read books ever since the 17th century. Old peasant homes still contain libraries with copies of the Bible and Luther's theses from 300 years back. Thanks to books, Cieszyn Silesia became what it is. Until recently in the area, Lutheran farms were neater, and less alcohol was drunk there in the evenings than in the rest of Poland, while farmers' sons went to school more often than elsewhere.
Grażyna Kubica, a sociologist conducting research among Cieszyn Lutherans, says that for the locals a decent life means being God-fearing, but also hard-working, reliable and honest. Max Weber's concept of the Protestant work ethic has been fully confirmed in the Lutheran enclave of Catholic Poland, along with rigorous morality, a sense of individual freedom, respect for the law and good organization.
The Cieszyn Lutheran community changed significantly during communist industrialization. However, it retained its sense of regional and historical identity. In their hometown, people don't realize there is a difference. Once they leave their birthplace, however, they meet with surprise, amazement and sometimes hostility.
Cieszyn's Lutherans have obtained great strength for survival and endurance from their religious ethics and their attitude of treating life as a serious duty.
Patriotism, toughness, moral order and high standards are the features of this unusual, Lutheran prime minister of a Catholic nation.
Looking for a prime minister, he cast about in the community closest to him-the only one he knows and does not fear.
Buzek is unknown outside the inner circle of local Solidarity leaders. Not even Solidarity's historical barons know him, that front line of the builders of Poland's Solidarity revolution. Just a few years ago, you could have said the same about Krzaklewski.
The prime minister and majority leader from the union's inner circle, both from the movement's farther rows, from the provinces, could mean that Poland will be governed by people from the Solidarity ghetto, politicians who for most of their public lives had little to do with other political circles or with other views than those voiced by their closest colleagues.
Buzek is not a well-known politician and does not have his own political backing-apart from Krzaklewski himself. Otherwise, he seems to bring nothing but strengths to the office of prime minister and has no faults to be publicly discussed. Those who insist on finding fault with the quiet, good-natured, nice government head say he empties the platters at banquets.
For Poland, that's not a fault that would frighten anyone.
The AWS-UW coalition has a meager 30-vote majority. If the AWS caucus, comprising groups with contradictory views, does not maintain strict discipline, the government won't last long.
The only guarantor of the AWS's cohesiveness is Krzaklewski, who created a structure that despite pessimistic outlooks just six months ago has one great asset. It's still standing. The only thing is, it's standing because of Krzaklewski.
Will it gain a second strong pillar in the tough Luther from Cieszyn, Jerzy Buzek?
[an error occurred while processing this directive]