Jadwiga Kaczynska, mother of Poland's political twins, the Kaczynskis, dies at 86

WARSAW, Poland – Jadwiga Kaczynska, the mother of the identical twin brothers who shaped public life in Poland for many years, has died. She was 86.

Kaczynska's death Thursday was announced by Law and Justice, the conservative party led by her surviving son, Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

Lech and Jaroslaw Kaczynski were activists in the democracy struggle that helped topple communism in 1989. They eventually formed Law and Justice, which represents conservative and patriotic values.

From 2006-2007 the two simultaneously held the country's two top political jobs, with Lech as president and Jaroslaw as prime minister.

When Lech Kaczynski died in the crash of the presidential plane in Russia in 2010, Kaczynska was critically ill in a hospital and wasn't given the devastating news for six weeks.