APTN interview with Solidarity founder ahead of 25th anniversary

• published: 21 Jul 2015
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SHOTLIST Gdansk - 30 August 2005 1. Pan Lech Walesa at his desk (++PART MUTE++) 2. SOUNDBITE (Polish) Lech Walesa, former Polish President and founder of Solidarity Movement: "Today, Poland needs Solidarity but a much wider movement than a union can provide. We need a Solidarity that is above divisions." FILE Gdansk - 3 November 1995 3. Various of shipyard 4. Various workers smoking Gdansk - 30 August 2005 5. SOUNDBITE (Polish) Lech Walesa, former Polish President and founder of Solidarity Movement: "The (internal) divisions are the reason why I am leaving Solidarity. I want to force them to make the necessary organisational changes." FILE Gdansk - 1 & 2 May 1983 6. Solidarity demonstrators 7. Demonstrators waving Solidarity banners FILE August 25, 1983 8. Walesa walking to Lenin shipyard as workers cheer Gdansk - 30 August 2005 9. SOUNDBITE (Polish) Lech Walesa, former Polish President and founder of Solidarity Movement: "After all that I have gone through, after all those great successes I have had, there is nowhere else for me in Poland." 10. SOUNDBITE (Polish) Lech Walesa, former Polish President and founder of Solidarity Movement: "I have no emotions associated with tomorrow''s celebration. Of course, I prefer to get applause for what I do and to do good things. I prefer to be congratulated rather than criticised, but I still want to give a message." FILE Gdansk - 2 April 1996 11. Cameraman mob Lech Walesa''s car 12. Mercedes drives through crowd 13. Walesa surrounded by bodyguards Gdansk - 30 August 2005 14. SOUNDBITE (Polish) Lech Walesa, former Polish President and founder of Solidarity Movement: "I don''t want to remember the events of the past. My thoughts are focused on today and tomorrow." 15. Various of Walesa in his office 16. Photo of Walesa and wife in audience with Pope John Paul II 17. Gdansk shipyard with memorial 18. Gate 2 where Solidarity strike started 19. Memorial of dock worker STORYLINE: Poland''s Solidarity founder Lech Walesa said on Tuesday he sees no place for himself in Poland''s public life - despite his achievement in founding the movement 25 years ago that started an anti-communist era that eventually ended decades of post-War Soviet control in Eastern Europe later in the decade. In an interview with APTN on the eve of the anniversary of Solidarity''s birth, the former shipyard electrician, also Poland''s first democratically elected president, said he had considered running again in October elections this year but gave up when he realised he could only count on support from several thousand people. "After all that I have gone through, after all those great successes I have had, there is nowhere else for me in Poland," Walesa said. Solidarity attracted an estimated 10 million in Poland -about a third of all adults - during its heyday in 1980 and 1981 before communist leader General Wojciech Jaruzelski cracked down on it with martial law. Jaruzelski intended to crush Solidarity with his December 13, 1981 decree, but the movement eventually prevailed, leading to negotiations in 1989 with the ruling communists who gradually ceded their power without a fight. Walesa described how he spends more than six months a year giving lectures on Solidarity abroad, where he is often seen as more of a hero than at home following what many people think was a less than successful presidency from 1990-1995. Walesa began his term of office as a national hero, but his popularity waned amid perceptions he was trying to run the country single-handedly. He alienated former advisers and failed to deliver on social welfare promises as many people lost their jobs amid the transition from communism to free markets. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/a65fe62f6e678af20bee7019fdfa2f23 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork