Poland Government and Politics
Twelfth-century sword, the "Szczerbiec," used in the
coronation of Polish kings
THE UNEXPECTED SPEED with which communist governance
ended in
Poland put the country's anticommunist opposition in
charge of
the search for appropriate new political institutions. The
subsequent hectic experiment in democracy yielded mixed
results
between 1989 and 1992, when the restored Republic of
Poland was
still attempting to find its political bearings. In 1989
round
table talks between the opposition and the communist
government
spawned a flurry of legislation and constitutional
amendments
that merged democratic reforms with institutions and laws
inherited from four decades of communist rule.
At that point, the young democracy's centers of power
had not
yet been able to define their span of control and their
relationship to one another. Institutional ambiguity was
exacerbated by the outcome of the long-awaited
parliamentary
elections of October 1991, which seated twenty-nine
political
parties in the powerful lower house, the Sejm. To form a
coalition government from such diverse parties, of which
none
held more than 14 percent of the total seats, was a
daunting task
in itself. The greater challenge, however, lay in creating
a
political culture of negotiation and compromise that would
make
stable democracy feasible over the long term.
A key element in the development of any Western-style
democracy is the unrestricted dissemination of accurate
information and diverse opinion. In this respect, Poland
underwent a less abrupt transition than other
postcommunist
states. A prolific, independent press had evolved from
modest
beginnings in the early 1970s, surviving the setback of
martial
law, and expanding its activities as government censorship
diminished after the mid-1980s. Following the Round Table
Agreement of early 1989, the press gave voice to an
ever-widening
spectrum of political and social opinion. But the end of
generous
state subsidies in favor of a profit- and
competition-based
system bankrupted hundreds of Polish publishing
enterprises.
Radio and television adjusted less rapidly to the changed
political environment and remained under closer government
control than the print media.
Despite a constantly changing constellation of
political
parties and coalitions that produced five prime ministers
in
three years, Warsaw maintained a consistent and successful
foreign policy during the transition period. By mid-1992,
Poland
had achieved many of its long-range policy goals,
including
sovereignty over its foreign affairs; a Russian commitment
for
complete withdrawal of Soviet/Russian combat forces from
Polish
territory; bilateral friendship treaties with most of its
neighbors; German recognition of the permanent Oder-Neisse
border; associate membership in the European Community
(EC); and
observer status in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO).
At that point, Warsaw already had travelled a considerable
distance on its "path back to Europe." The West responded
to
Poland's democratizing and marketizing reforms by granting
trade
concessions, debt relief, and a range of economic and
technical
assistance.
Data as of October 1992
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