On the eve of the 20th anniversary of the start of the Round Table Talks, legendary ‘Solidarity’ hero Lech Walesa, told Polish Radio this morning that, without the talks, there would not have been any democratic transformation in Poland.
The former president of Poland stressed the importance of appreciating the merits of all people who contributed to the fall of communism in Poland in the 1980s.
Walesa admitted that some of the effects of the Round Table negotiations have proved contradictory to expectations of the participants in the talks. The former ‘Solidarity’ leader pointed out, however, that the fact that post-communists governed in Poland after democratic transformation began was not the fault of the Round Table Talks but simply a result of the free elections.
The agreement ending the talks of the Round Table was signed April 5, 1989. Among other things, it legalised the ‘Solidarity’ trade union, introduced political pluralism, freedom of speech and the independence of the Polish judiciary. The date of the partially free parliamentary election was also settled, with a guarantee that at least 35 percent seats in the Sejm will be given to the opposition representatives. (jm)
Source: IAR