User:Kano901/A War up There

A War up There – a popular name of the conflict, that escalated in 1990 between Lech Wałęsa (chairman of the "Solidarity" Trade Union at the time) and the Cabinet of Tadeusz Mazowiecki.

War up There was a result of arising internal conflict within the Solidarity movement, between Left-Wing of Solidarity with its main ideologue, Adam Michnik and Right-Wing of Solidarity under Jarosław Kaczyński. Wałęsa, Solidarity's Chairman, found himself between both sides.

The Conflict

The Cabinet of Mazowiecki significantly reduced Wałęsa's authority and influence, who took action and began to criticise the government. – Trade Union must represent its members. We came here not to disturb ourselves, but it seems we must start to argue. In February of 1990, Wałęsa accused the government of too slow implementation of Solidarity's Program, sluggish removal of Nomenklatura among others, which to Wałęsa was meant to gather social approval for the economic revolution. The government replied by stating that such changes require time.

The meeting of Civic Committee on 24th of June, 1990 is perceived as the beginning of conflict. In an earlier interview for Gazeta Wyborcza, Lech Wałęsa criticised Tadeusz Mazowiecki and Bronisław Geremek, and presented his vision for his tenure as president, should he win the upcoming presidential elections. Małgorzata Niezabitowska, the government's spokesperson attacked Wałęsa the following day, calling him a "rusher with an axe".

Wałęsa began the Committee's meeting with an attack on Jerzy Turowicz, demanding answers about earlier negative statements about him. His actions caused anger within various members of the committee, which ultimately overshadowed the meeting and caused the discussion to shift towards a quarrel.

Aleksander Hall: I really respect Lech Wałęsa as a comrade on a common path (...). But I want to make myself clear (...): I do not see him as a good candidate for the office of the President of the Republic.

He received a similar opinion about his tenure as a minister.

Bronisław Geremek: I never heard such words come from you, Mr. Lech. Should I heard it, I would have never joined you. (...) I ask you Mr. Lech, what changed, what happened?

He also stated that Wałęsa can only become president by "way of the street".

Stefan Kurowski, Centre Agreement's representative, suddenly attacked the government.

Stefan Kurowski: I must say, that I will not join the box of Prime Minister Mazowiecki's apologists. (...) The main course of this government is slowing down the changes. That is the motto of Mazowiecki and people who work with him.

Jarosław Kaczyński joined him.

Jarosław Kaczyński: The interests of old nomenklatura and the interests of the society contradict eachother. The Round Table's system, which tries to soothe it, is disastrous for the social peace. The hybrid Jaruzelski-Mazowiecki system of power must cease to exist.

Andrzej Wielowieyski: We managed to do so much during those 10 months, because most of the society felt that the country changes according to the new morality and authorities worked together. Wałęsa strikes from the side, breaking the social hope.

Lech Wałęsa: You accused me of sowing discontent. Prove it.

Wielowieyski refered to the polls.

Lech Wałęsa: Break the thermometer and you won't have a fever.

Adam Michnik: Here, in this room, democracy finds itself in danger.

Adam Michnik, not amused by being called a "laitic left" stated:

If I am the laitic left and a crypto-communist, then you, my honourable antagonists, are just pigs.

Wałęsa argued the point of his actions as such: There has to be a War up There, so there can be a peace down there. (...) I went on a leave when Tadeusz Mazowiecki became Prime Minister. Today my leave ends. As such, Wałęsa became a part of this political game, giving it greater dynamics.

Results

The direct results of this conflict were:

ending the unity of Solidarity organisations and further fragmentation of Solidarity Movement into supporters of Lech Wałęsa (represented by the Centre Agreement, predecessor to Law and Justice), and supporters of Mazowiecki's Government (Citizen's Movement for Democratic Action which later became the Democratic Union, the Freedom Union and Union of European Democrats). Numerous members of ROAD became the foundation for the Civic Platform in 2001.
the Solidarity Camp nominating two candidates for president in 1990 elections: Lech Wałęsa and Tadeusz Mazowiecki.

[[Category:Politics of Poland]] [[Category:Lech Wałęsa]] [[Category:1990 in Poland]]