Editor`s note: Freedom celebration :: Charter'97 :: News

Twenty-five years after the Solidarity movement came into existence in August 1980, Poland is back on everybody`s lips. Far too often, both in Poland and abroad, people forget about Solidarity`s heritage and its influence on today`s European character.

Abroad, it is very often forgotten that the fall of communism started with the Solidarity movement in Poland and not after the destruction of the Berlin Wall. It is forgotten that the fall of Soviet totalitarianism followed the demise of communism in Poland and that it was Poland who sparked the process of democratization in other Soviet block countries.

In Poland, we tend to forget how much we have managed to achieve during the last 25 years. It is rightly remembered, however, what social costs were borne as a result of the drastic economic transformation and we remember political divisions that emerged after the 1989 elections. The freedom that the Solidarity movement managed to win is unjustly associated with all the wrongs of the transformation`s side effects that have penetrated our society, such as corruption, nepotism and the abuse of public positions.

I agree we should remember that. But we should also bear in mind that the small representation of Poles sitting on Sejm benches and behind ministerial desks are not a reflection of the entire Poland.

We tend to forget that Solidarnos`c` was created by 10 million Poles. It is thanks to them that the totalitarian communist regime came to an end in Europe. It is thanks to them - as it was rightly stressed by Timothy Garton Ash during last week`s celebrations of Solidarity`s 25th anniversary - that Europe could finally unite. What started 25 years ago in the Gdan`sk shipyard, ended on May 1, 2004 when the Western, united European club was enlarged with the post-communist countries.

It ended, however, only for those countries that are already free. But we mustn`t forget that some European states are still haunted by the specter of totalitarianism. During the last months Poles proved they can join in solidarity. When such a need arose, we supported Ukraine and its current president, Viktor Yushchenko. When such a need shall arise, we will support Belarus. We are looking forward to the ultimate success of Solidarity in Minsk.