What is it about senior Polish politicians?

What is it about senior Polish politicians?  They really do seem to lack the common touch.

 

         Last night, at a party, I had a short chat with a very senior member of the government whom I’d met briefly at a conference in Budapest last year. His first gruff line of defence was,” I haven’t been to Budapest for four years.” Well, it’s not the sort of thing you’d make up, is it? But, then he remembered and back pedalled. Of course, anyone can forget anything but what struck me was that he lacked any sort of charm or pleasantry. There was no reason for doubting me, was there? It goes without saying that no apology was forthcoming.

Could this lack of manners be because so many senior ministers are not elected? They have not had to face the hustings. They are simply appointed.

 

On second thoughts, Leszek Balcerowicz has the common touch, so, may be, it’s just something to do with this particular PO government. Mind you, being named “Finance minister of the year” by The Banker in 2009 must be quite hard to live down, given the banker-generated crises in banking both then and now.