Tragedies

Controversy Over Burial of Polish Prez

Should he be laid to rest alongside kings?

So much for national tragedy bringing a country together: Some people are upset over the decision to bury the Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife at Wawel castle in Krakow—a burial ground that has traditionally been reserved for kings. Al Jazeera reports that several hundred people gathered in Krakow on Tuesday, chanting “Not in the Wawel” and carrying banners that said, “Is he fit to be a king?” The Facebook group “No to the Kaczynskis burial in Wawel” has attracted over 30,000 fans, and the leading Polish daily newspaper, Gazeta Wyborcza, also opposes the decision, printing a front-page editorial that calls it “hasty and emotional.” A Krakow politician said, “All the president's faults will soon be in the spotlight and in many cases sorrow will turn to hate."