The 3rd May constitutionThird May is Constitution Day in Poland, a public holiday. For the occasion state representatives and top brass from the Polish armed forces take part in celebrations in the capital.
US President Barack Obama sent a special message to the Polish people for the occasion, saying that the Polish constitution has been a sign of “equality and democratic freedoms” since its birth 219 years ago, adding that the document served as inspiration for many people the world over.
In Warsaw, acting head of state, Bronislaw Komorowski is to attend a ceremony by the Grave of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw’s Pilsudski Square, following a Mass held in St. John's cathedral, attended by Komorowski, Defence Minister Bogdan Klich, and Warsaw Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz.
Due to the Smolensk tragedy of 10 April, when a plane crash caused the death of president Lech Kaczynski and 95 others, including clerics and top military personnel, no new army appointments to the rank of general are to be announced this year.
The 3 May constitution, passed in 1791, is often revered globally as being the second such bill to be ratified. It is four years junior to the United States constitution, and the first of its kind in Europe. It was only in effect for one year, however, with the onset of the Polish-Russian war of 1792. (jb)