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Lech Kaczynski - Source: Reuters -
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Polish president Lech Kaczynski was a polarising figure.
His beliefs were rooted in a staunch loathing of the former Communist regime.
He was an ally of one of post-Communist Poland's most recognisable names Lech Walesa. (They subsequently had a falling out.)
The former mayor of Warsaw was a conservative who twice banned gay parades in the city and spoke of re-introducing the death penalty.
He became president in 2005, as the candidate for the Law and Justice Party, and provided his people with a strong voice in the European Union and a sense of identification not seen in years.
But whatever your politics in Poland, his death and that of his wife and the hierarchy of Poland's government and military has brought a galvanisation of grief to the country.
Poland is united in sorrow and, with one saddened face, they are working through the shock and disbelief of losing their leader.
I was sitting in a London taxi and the taxi driver (as they do) questioned whether the death of Gordon Brown would spark similar sentiments. Now of course, it would be a significant loss, but there just isn't the affection with politicians in Britain as there would appear to be right now in Poland. Perhaps the expenses scandal has forever etched in this generation's minds that politicians, whatever their colour, have no scruples and can't be trusted.
My taxi driver said Britons reserve that universal sorrow for a death in the royal family. You need to go no further than the public outpouring when Princess Diana died, and to a slightly lesser extent, the Queen Mother's death, to understand that.
The current polls in Britain are pointing to a hung parliament come election time in May. There may be no clear winner in the race to control the House of Commons. Not since 1974 has Britain had to confront the prospect of a minority government.
So in a few weeks, while there will be little love for British politicians (again - voter turnout is expected to just scrape over 50%), the politicians themselves will have to show some love to each other if they are to arrive at a workable parliament.
Maybe throwing a bit of love around Westminster and some cross party cooperation may inspire the public here to show some love back.
God forbid anything should happen to any other country's ruling elite like what has happened in Poland, but it's not a hard lesson to learn - give some love and you might get some loving back.
Read more of Paul Hobbs' blogs.
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