Polish parliamentary election, 1989

Polish parliamentary election, 1989. The election was a significant event in Polish history, marking a major shift in the country's political landscape, influenced by key figures such as Lech Wałęsa, Wojciech Jaruzelski, and Tadeusz Mazowiecki. It was the first partially free election in Eastern Europe since the advent of communism in the region, following the example of Hungary and preceding the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia. The election was a result of the Round Table Talks between the Communist Party of Poland and the Solidarity movement, facilitated by Pope John Paul II and the Catholic Church in Poland.

Background

The Polish parliamentary election, 1989, was set against the backdrop of significant social and economic changes in Poland, influenced by the policies of Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union, including Glasnost and Perestroika. The Solidarity movement, led by Lech Wałęsa, had been a major force for change, with support from Western Europe and the United States, particularly from Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. The Communist Party of Poland, under the leadership of Wojciech Jaruzelski, was facing increasing pressure to reform, following the example of Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the Prague Spring. The Round Table Talks, which took place from February to April 1989, were a series of negotiations between the government and opposition groups, including Solidarity, the United People's Party, and the Democratic Party (Poland), resulting in the signing of the Round Table Agreement.

Election Process

The election process was designed to be partially free, with 35% of the seats in the Sejm (the lower house of the Polish parliament) being contested, while the remaining 65% were reserved for the Communist Party of Poland and its allies, including the United People's Party and the Democratic Party (Poland). The election was held on June 4, 1989, with a second round on June 18, 1989, using a proportional representation system, similar to that used in West Germany and Austria. The Solidarity movement, led by Lech Wałęsa, Jacek Kuroń, and Adam Michnik, formed a coalition with other opposition groups, including the Catholic Church in Poland and the Polish United Workers' Party, to contest the election, with support from Radio Free Europe and the Voice of America.

Results

The results of the election were a significant victory for the Solidarity movement, which won 99% of the contested seats in the Sejm and all of the seats in the newly created Senate of Poland, with candidates such as Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Bronisław Geremek, and Józef Ślisz. The Communist Party of Poland and its allies performed poorly, with many of their candidates failing to win the required 50% of the vote, leading to a loss of power and influence, similar to the decline of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. The election marked a significant shift in the balance of power in Poland, paving the way for the transition to a democratic government, with support from the European Community and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Aftermath

The aftermath of the election saw the formation of a new government, led by Tadeusz Mazowiecki, who became the first non-Communist Party of Poland prime minister in Poland since the end of World War II, with the support of Lech Wałęsa and the Solidarity movement. The new government implemented a series of economic and political reforms, including the introduction of a market economy and the establishment of a democratic constitution, similar to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Constitution of the Republic of Austria. The election also marked the beginning of the end of communism in Eastern Europe, with similar elections being held in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany, leading to the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the German reunification.

Candidates and Parties

The election saw a range of candidates and parties contesting the available seats, including the Solidarity movement, the Communist Party of Poland, the United People's Party, and the Democratic Party (Poland), as well as smaller parties such as the Christian Democracy (Poland) and the Polish Socialist Party. Key candidates included Lech Wałęsa, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Wojciech Jaruzelski, and Józef Ślis, with support from Pope John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, and Margaret Thatcher. The election was also notable for the participation of a number of independent candidates, including Jacek Kuroń and Adam Michnik, who were supported by the Catholic Church in Poland and the Polish intelligentsia.