After skillfully leading his country's march toward democracy for a decade, Lech Walesa suddenly seems out of step with the times. Last week Walesa stumbled badly when he admitted publicly for the first time that he wanted to be Poland's President and proposed that elections be held as soon as possible. "I confirm," he responded cryptically but clearly to a question about his candidacy. "It is necessary to speed up the pace of reform and demolish the old structures."
The words caused consternation in Warsaw, particularly within the Solidarity government Walesa helped create. "He seems prepared to put everything we have...