Poland's Kaczynski says negative remarks on Merkel were "mistake"

Oct 19, 2011, 10:30 GMT

Warsaw - Polish opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said Wednesday his statements criticising German Chancellor Angela Merkel were a mistake that hurt his party in the recent parliamentary elections.

In his new book, The Poland of our Dreams, Kaczynski said Merkel did not come to power by 'pure chance' - a statement some interpreted as saying the East German secret police helped her gain the chancellorship. He also accused Germany of 'imperialism,' and of wanting 'subordination' from Warsaw.

'I don't deny that it was my mistake,' Kaczynski told the daily Rzeczpospolita, adding that his comments harmed his right-wing Law and Justice party ahead of voting on October 9.

Law and Justice went on to place second in the parliamentary elections, some nine percentage-points behind the ruling centre-right Civic Platform party.

Kaczynski's comments sparked an outcry from Polish politicians.

President Bronislaw Komorowski said that Kaczynski should 'simply apologise' for the remarks, while Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the comments 'harm the Polish national interest.'

Kaczynski's party has accused both Germany and Russia, Poland's historic foes, of imperial ambitions. He has said the ruling government is not assertive enough in its relations with Moscow.

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