Boycotts of Solidarity's anniversary celebrations. Poland's Solidarity - Now and Then?

Wałęsa is boycotting Solidarity's 30th anniversary celebrations in Gdańsk. Solidarność coalminers in Jastrzębiec have refused to invite Wałęsa, Tusk and Komorowski to their commemoration. Last year, Tusk & Co. boycotted the 30th anniversary of the June 1989 elections and held his own separatist celebrations in Kraków.... Are these symptoms of the eternal and unavoidable Polish disease of divisiveness? Is it incurable?

Why would socialist coalminers want to celebrate anything with "pro business" politicians?

Because they are all Poles and as Komorowski has said: ZGODA BUDUJE!
(That's a good one for the translation section: HARMONY EDIFIES or what?

Wonder if Kiszczak wanted to go.

concord edifies

I-S ( and is good for your liver)

Solidarity uncurable? A spirit of solidarity will survive but I am just a silly idealist.
Polish people are not good at constructive discussions. I hate when people don't respect olders, who were building a new, free country.
Harmony edifies?
It should at least.

It's a sign that Solidarity these days is nothing but the small minded, self interested "worker" faction from the 1980's. There's certainly hardly any intellectuals around!

Solidarity did themselves no favours whatsoever by aligning so closely with Kacynzski - all they've done in the process is make Tusk et al more determined to destroy their grip on certain elements of Polish society. Their day has gone.

It's my view that if this same faction was offered power in 1989 at the expense of non-members, they would have taken it - indeed, I don't believe that many of them wanted an end to communism, but rather they wanted some of the perks and privileges for themselves. If the money was there - I suspect Solidarity would have been bought.

simple "builds" or "grows" i feel to fit better as there is no notion of instruction in the word "buduje"


maybe the ones from '89 but definitely not the ones from '80


why?


sure seems this "disease" is alive and well. :(

Merged: Kopacz and PO regime flunkies a disgrace to Poland

PM Kopacz boycotted Solidarity's 35th anniversary celebrations led my President Duda and laid a separatist wreath of her own at the Gdańsk Shipyard. Senate Speaker Borusewicz was invited but did not attend. Lech Wałęsa was conveniently abroad at the time. The PO-led government have again shown they intend to perpetuate the foolish and counterproductive Polish-Polish war they have waged for the past decade and have now zeroed in on Presedent Duda. The PO hate industry is alive and well! The PO-led ruling camp is a disgrace to Poland.

i was first on this forum who criticized and condemned anti-Polish regime in Poland.

It's hardly the 35th anniversary. You cannot compare modern day Solidarność with the 1980's version - the two are completely and totally different. Please don't forget that the modern incarnation of Solidarność is not the legal successor to the 1980 version.


Understandable, given that Solidarność has said many, many bad things about the government.


As an elder statesman, he's got the right to enjoy his retirement.


I suspect that rather, they see no reason to take part in something organised by people that have no connection to what happened in August 1980.


Polonius, do try and be at least slightly objective.

And all true. You come across as a paid PO apologist. Or are you just a "useful idiot" thinking you're volunteering your thoughts for the "greater good" (?!).

You're the first person I've ever met that believes everything a trade union has to say.

Approval or criticism has depended entirely on a given government's performance. Solidarność was part of the government of Jerzy Buzek, and genrally supported the PiS govenrment. It has been critical of the anti-worker policies of the Platfusy. What trade union would support pro-oligarch, pro-corporate and anti-worker policies?

Not quite. Solidarność went very left wing (far more than the other unions), and thus they will criticise anyone that doesn't share their hard left wing feelings. But it's a recent trend, as they've previously been quite cooperative.


As I recall, that was an example of Polish politics being downright weird, as a trade union had lurched heavily to the right.


Wasn't there some strikes involving Solidarność during the PiS government? From what I remember at the time, Solidarność were much more to the left while PiS more or less occupied the same centre-right ground as PO. I definitely remember that Kaczyński refused to negotiate with different groups.


It's only in recent times under Piotr Duda that they've gone very much back to the militant left wing. Krzaklewski for instance was very centrist, I think.


It is true. In a sense, Solidarność remind me of the UK RMT - there was a guy called Bob Crow who was very similar to Piotr Duda's militantism.

strange? Duirng the 1980 Lenin shipyard strike and signing of the labour accords, visitng foreign journalists and politicians were amazed at the traditonal, right-leaning atmopshere of those evetns -- the patriotic and religious imagery, priests coming to the yard to hear workers' confessions, workers jointly singing the anthem and reciting the rosary, even the JP2 pen Wałęsa signed the deal with. That contrasted with the lefty, "progressive" (?!), secularist, often anti-clerical stench emanating from many western trade unions.

Of course you can call anything anything. Trade unions are supposed to fight for workers' rights, and you can call that leftist if you like. but it makes no sense. Soldiarność was, is and hopefully will always be a patriotic, pro-family. pro-Catholic trade union no matter how many idiots want to call that leftist.