Nearly 45% of Poles say Kwaśniewski was country's best president: survey

Nearly 45 percent of Poles believe Aleksander Kwaśniewski was the best president their country has had since the fall of communism in 1989, according to a survey this summer.

Aleksander Kwaśniewski

Cezary Piwowarski/Polskie Radio

Some 44.7 percent of respondents named Kwaśniewski, who served as president for two terms from 1995 to 2005, according to a survey by pollster United Surveys by IBRiS commissioned by the Wirtualna Polska news website.

Lech Kaczyński, who was Poland's head of state from 2005 until his death in an air crash in 2010, came in second with 14.2 percent, and current President Karol Nawrocki, ranked third with 12.3 percent.

Bronisław Komorowski, who was president from 2010 to 2015, was chosen by 5.3 percent of respondents, while 2.1 percent named Andrzej Duda, a two-term president from 2015 to 2025.

Lech Wałęsa, who served as president from 1990 to 1995, claimed 0.3 percent and Wojciech Jaruzelski, Poland's last communist leader, received 0.1 percent.

Some 8.1 percent of respondents said none of Poland's presidents since 1989 deserved to be considered the country's best, while 12.9 percent were undecided.

The poll was conducted on July 24 and 25 among a representative nationwide sample of 1,000 Polish adults, state news agency PAP reported.

(gs)

Source: PAP