A Day of History in Poland

The cover of TIME Magazine - December 1980

Yesterday, Poland marked the 20th anniversary of the historic 1989 vote when Solidarity were voted in, marking the end of Communism. This was the first country to turn non-communist in the former Soviet bloc, and the 1989 vote paved the way for the spread of democracy throughout Eastern Europe. Lech Wałesa (an electrician by trade) was voted in as the head of the new party and celebrations are going on across the country to celebrate his victory and praise his leadership skills. Big names were present in Kraków yesterday, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.  Unfortunately the weather was terrible all day, and much of the celebrations in Warsaw were outdoors.

Poland now hits the press frequently with regard to this and as a foreigner living here, it is even more pronounced. As someone who had only heard the stories back home in Blighty about life under communism, it really strikes you when you realise that even your work colleagues of the same age have childhood memories of the strict routines and social control that went on in everyday life. Labour Day (1st May) is still celebrated here and taken as a Public Holiday, but my wife can remember attending the ‘manifestation’ parade where flags were waved and registers were taken of all those who attended. For those children who didn’t attend, members of the Polish United Worker’s Party would visit their homes and parents would be formally questioned, and even reprimanded for not doing their ‘duty’. Jobs could be lost and members were occasionally thrown out of the Party  for not adhering to the rules. Scary stuff. Hard to imagine when you’ve spent your whole life living under a free capitalist system without state control.

The demonstrations in the Gdansk shipyards where it all started

The build up of Solidarity began 10 years before the final winning vote when prices were hiked and endless queues were commonplace to buy simple foods. Daily living became harder and it eventually culminated in strikes throughout the country. It started in Gdansk, but news spread through Poland and Wałęsa’s party gained followers all over. The coordinated nationwide workers strikes which followed paralised the country’s economy and created instability and further upheaval for the government. However, whilst finally agreeing to some demands, the Commuists still attempted to cut down the Solidarity party and a week before voting day, the Party was still banned in Poland. It was the Communist Party’s arrogance which allowed the elections to happen, as they considered Solidarity had no chance of winning and allowed them to take part. The result was that for the first time, a ruling communist party granted an opposition movement a decisive role in an effort to stem a deep economic and political crisis.

Last night, there was a concert in Gdansk organised by stars of the era, including German rockers the Scorpions whose “Wind of Change” became the anthem of the time. I listened to this song for years without knowing what it represented. The lyrics celebrate the political changes which were going on at the time across Eastern Europe.