Whenever American Presidents came to Poland, it was always with something important to announce or declare. The topics were Poland joining NATO or EU, Poland’s involvement in the Iraq War, or deployment of American troops in Poland. We were told we were one of the closest and best allies of the US. Polish-American friendship, democratic transformations, and courage and valiance of the Polish people were all discussed – a permanent item on the agenda. But what is it that we can remember about the American visits?
Embodiments of capitalism, democracy and freedom, all US presidents were greeted by crowds, always with a warm welcome. It was, however, only after 1989 that the meetings were those between two allies.
Since then Poland has never been skipped when planning presidential visits. George Bush Senior’s first arrival in Warsaw was less than a month after the first, partially free, elections. He met both with the chairman of the Council of State of the Polish People's Republic and the head of the Solidarity.
Another US president, Bill Clinton, visited Poland in 1994. Lech Wałęsa said at that time: “We’re still waiting for American generals to arrive”. In fact, he did not mean an American brigade or a battalion, but American companies like General Motors and General Electric. And that was so much for the business partnership.
However, it was not until the next visit that the two countries became military allies. Clinton received an ovation.
A somewhat less warm greeting awaited the 43rd US president. George Bush Junior visited Poland three times, each time stressing our role as an ally in the fight with terrorism and thanking us for our military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. Barack Obama was another man to speak of the overwhelming victory of freedom. Poles remember him for his openness, physical condition and his bodyguards – during one of his three visits, Polish capital was turned into a real stronghold. His speeches, however, were overshadowed by the Ukrainian conflict, sanctions on Russia, and the unrest in the region. That same friendly help is what we are counting on now.
Źródło: tvn24.pl/tłumaczenie Intertext.com.pl