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Towards the Transition. Political and Social Changes in the Last Years of the Polish People’s Republic
Sylwia Galij-Skarbińska
Wojciech Polak
Abstract
The activity of the Solidarity underground, which had been ongoing since the very beginning of martial law in Poland, slowed down in the mid-1980s. Although publishing, leafleting and self-education activities continued to flourish, street demon strations attracted few people. Fatigue with the economic crisis and a lack of faith in the possibility of any political change led to social apathy, but the deepening economic crisis also left the authorities in a stalemate. Those in power began to understand that without fundamental political solutions, it would be impossible to emerge from the crisis, especially as liberalisation began in the Soviet Union with Mikhail Gorbachev’s rise to power. In the face of a growing economic and social crisis, a deep political crisis was looming. In this situation, the authorities used various methods, including the security apparatus, to closely observe and analyse public sentiment. In 1988, preparations were also made for a state of emergency, but these plans never came into effect. Ultimately, in the face of deepening chaos and the decomposition of the ruling camp, talks were held with representatives of the opposition, which led to the ‘round table’ and the first partially free parliamentary elections since World War II.
Keywords:
Solidarity, communist authorities, Polish People’s Republic, opposition, security apparatus, transformationMost read articles by the same author(s)
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