Development of Parties and Party Systems in ... - lah@sam.sdu.dk

The persistent fall in electoral support due to bad governance, growing economic and socialproblems and lack of cohesion on government and party level led to the resignation of LeszekMiller as SLD party chairman and premier, internal division of SLD and establishment of atransitory government led by Marek Belka, which in June 2004 won a vote of confidence by anarrow margin (236 against 215)2.2. Solidarity and AWSOver 20 years, from 1980 to 1989 Solidarity had been the leading in the fight against the old statestocilist system (“we” versus “them”) based “soft” as well as “hard” Catholic ideology. Pragmaticattitudes and self-limitation went hand in hand with active resistance against the communists, butthe “internalisation of limits” from the late 1989 due to the “Gorbachev factor” faded away soonafter the demise of the old system and the crisis and subsequent systemic collapse of the SovietUnion.The phenomenon Solidarity was unique. The dominant model underlying Solidarity in manyrespects resembled the social-democratic. Several mutually competing myths and contra-mythsextisted inside Solidarity movement, all aiming to make more sense and predictability in a chaoticextraordinary situation. In other words, new mutually comteting symbols, utopia and myths forcedout communist ideology 41 . From its working class base to the struggle to realize greater control overenterprises, Solidarity resembled a socialist type movement in all but name. Hardly any other tradeunion in the world has at the same time been in government and constituting a political party and aninterest organisation in the classical sense. Moreover, during its 21 years’ history Solidarity hadalternately a social protest with a built-in self-limitation, a trade union focusing on short-termeconomic interests and a catch-all movement in a society undergoing deep and fast changes. Itstarted in 1979-80 as a trade union, a democratic movement and a force of national independence.Later Solidarity appeared as a political party in the more classical sense, even becoming a party ofgovernment trying to change a socially, economically and culturally backward and socially dividedsociety.In addition, Solidarity has alternately been a trade union, a political mass movement and a reflexivemovement (”pozycji refleksji”) representing a specific “anti-political third way” of thinking. At theoutset Solidarity constituted as a political mass movement, which took trade union shape. Before1989 the defence of working class short-term interests was brought in the background as a defenceof workers interests provided a fundamental change of the state socialist system. In stead,extrication and blackmailing were striking. Concrete plans and strategies for transforming Polishsociety were postponed until the victory over the “post-communists” had been achieved (Morawski1998:74).Before 1989 the fight against the old system constituted a zero-sum play, almost a “win-loosergame”, and the disagreement inside the movement was suppressed in the name of collectivestrength. The principle of ”strength through unity” was reflected in the territorial and regionalstructures. The political declarations were kept in abstract and symbolic value forms, in most casesincluding slogans about social justice, democracy, truth, rule of law, human rights and nationalcommunity.41 Leszek Koczanowicz, ”Cztery mity ”Solidarnosci”, Gazeta Wyborcza 21-22 August 2004:15-16.47