World misses American leadership, Walesa claims

photo - PR

“The United States has always been there for the world,” he told workers at a Chrysler automobile assembly factory in Detroit, Michigan, as quoted in long-standing daily the Detroit Free Press.

“People expect from the United States ideas and vision,” he expanded.

Walesa was in Detroit following the World Summit of Nobel Prize Laureates, which was held in Chicago on Wednesday and sponsored by Chrysler.

“If the United States does not want to be a superpower and help lead the world, why doesn't it share that with Poland?” he quipped.

“We will know what to do.”

Detroit has been one of the worst-affected cities in America's ongoing recession, and Walesa praised the company for managing to pull itself out of a crisis, following the firm's bankruptcy and partial take-over by Fiat in 2009.

Walesa credited Chrysler's close cooperation with unions throughout the crisis.

The company announced a first quarter profit of 473 million dollars (1.4 billion zloty) on Thursday.

“You have a wise corporation,” he said, adding that if the leadership changed for the worse, workers could count on his support.

“I will strike with you,” he promised.