The government intends to move the 20th annivesary celebrations of Poland's first post-war democratic elections.
A report by Slawek Szefs
The government intends to move the 20th annivesary celebrations of Poland's first post-war democratic elections. The reason for this sudden shift from the northern Baltic coast to the southern region has been the announcement of major demonstarations by Solidarity to coincide with the series of anniversary events planned in Gdansk.
The trade union considered this a good opportunity to stage its protest in defense of the local shipyard, which faces closure being deprived of state subsidies following a European Commission decision. The government simply fears a repetition of violent clashes such as those during last week's international gathering in Warsaw marking Poland's fifth anniversary of EU membership.
The anniversary of the first democratic elections in post-war Poland was to remind European and world public opinion about the freedom struggle of communist opressed Poles. The question now is whether the door has been shut to any further compromise between the government and union side. Unfortuantely, the just launched election campaign to the European Parliament will not be a factor contributing to a sober assessment of the situation.
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