Political
parties in Poland
On 4 February
1993, Patricia Koza of UPI reported that as of that date, there were 29 parties
in the Sejm. However, Poland's political parties are not that numerous. There
are from 6 to 11 parties that count, depending on the criteria adopted. Some
other parties are listed here for historical accuracy; most of them have about
as much clout as the Socialist Party in the United States.
Sources: Kultura, No. 12/543 (December 1992), Clarinet wire; Donosy, January 1993. Whenever available, updatings are provided for February and March 1993. The Sarmatian Review provided English translations and irreverent comments. We start with the Right and end with the renamed Communist Party as the most extreme wing of the Left.
ZChN - Zjednoczenie
Chrzescijansko-Narodowe (Christian National Union). Chairman: Wieslaw
Chrzanowski. 46 MPs in January 1993. Very traditionalist and somewhat
suspicious of free market capitalism; "intellectually challenged." A
ZChN splinter group under Antoni Macierewicz came into being in February 1993
and declared cooperation with RdR and PC.
PChD - Partia Chrzescijanskich Demokratow
(Christian Democratic Party). Chairman: Pawel Laczkowski. 5 MPs. Low profile.
RdR - Ruch dla
Rzeczypospolitej (Movement for the Republic), and
RTR - Ruch Trzeciej Rzeczypospolitej
(Movement for the Third Republic). The first is headed by Jan Olszewski, the
second, by Jan Parys. The two different names seem to reflect the egos of the
leaders rather than real differences. 17 MPs. Conservative, favors energetic
decommunization within state officialdom.
UPR - Unia Polityki Realnej
(Realpolitik Union). Chairman: Janusz Korwin-Mikke. 3 MPs. Conservative in the
Lord Dahlberg-Acton tradition. Made major political mistakes by selecting a
misleading party name and a bizarre title for its periodical, Najwyzszy CZASI).
PC - Porozumienie Centrum (Center
Alliance). Chairman: Jaroslaw Kaczynski. 24 MPs. Aspires to be centrist but
tends to side with the conservatives. A likely candidate for extinction.
PK - Partia Konserwatywna
(Conservative Party, a UD splinter organization, until recently called Forum
Prawicy Demokratycznej). Chairman: Aleksander Hall. 27 MPs (including
representatives of some other small parties). A mobile chairman who has been
member of so many political factions that we lost count.
KLD - Kongres Liberalno-Demokratyczny
(Liberal Democratic Congress). Chairman: Donald Tusk. 52 MPs (including some
other small parties with similar sympathies). Mixed program; the party espouses
energetic advocacy of free market capitalism but has been heard of little in
recent months.
KPN - Konfederacja Polski Niepodleglej
(Confederation for Independent Poland). Chairman: Leszek Moczulski. 46 MPs.
Unpredictable and mostly obstructionist, at this point; it is unclear which way
it is going, left or right.
PSL-PL - Polskie Stronnictwo
Ludowe-Porozumienie Ludowe (Polish Farmers' Union - Farmers' Coalition).
Chairman: Gabriel Janowski. 17 MPs. A splinter group from the PSL; it
repudiated PSL's roots in People's Poland. A farmers' lobby.
UD - FKL Unia Demokratyczna - Frakcja
Konserwatywno-Liberalna (Democratic Union - Liberal Conservative Faction).
Chairman: Tadeusz Syryjczyk. A splinter group between PK and UD). Possibly an
ego trip.
UD - Unia Demokratyczna (Democratic
Union). Chairman: Tadeusz Mazowiecki. A social democratic party, very
Politically Correct. 57 MPs.
PSL - Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe
(Polish Farmers' Union). Chairman: Waldemar Pawlak. 50 MPs. A revamped farmers'
organization with roots in Soviet-occupied Poland where it existed as an
"independent" party. A farmer's lobby that would like the state to
give farmers all kinds of guarantees.
UD-FSL - Unia Demokratyczna-Frakcja
Spoleczno-Liberalna (Democratic Union - Social Liberal Faction).
Chairwoman: Zofia Kuratowska. Openly anti-clerical.
UP - Unia Pracy (Union of Labor).
Chairman: Ryszard Bugaj. 6 MPs. Social democratic. One of its leaders, Zbigniew
Bujak, presides over the drive to change through a referendum Poland's
anti-abortion law, which took effect March 16, 1993.
SdRP - Socjaldemokracja Rzeczypospolitej
Polskiej (Social Democracy of the Polish Republic). Chairman: Aleksander
Kwasniewski. 58 MPs (including those elected by the communist labor unions). A
makeover of the former Communist Party.
Other MPs represent Solidarnosc (26 MPs); the German minority coalition (7 MPs); and other parties (17 MPs).
Some other
parties:
ChDSP - Chrzescijansko-Demokratyczne
Stronnictwo Pracy (Christian Democratic Labor Association)
FChD - Forum Chrzescijansko-Demokratyczne
(Christian Democratic Forum)
KR - Koalicja Republikanska (Republican
Coalition)
PPG - Polski Program Gospodarczy (Polish
Economic Program)
PPN - Polska Partia Niepodleglosciowa (Polish
Independence Party)
PPS - Polska Partia Socjalistyczna (Polish
Socialist Party)
SLCh - Stronnictwo Ludowo-Chrzescijanskie
(Christian Farmers' Association)
WiP - Wolnosc i Pokoj (Freedom and Peace)
Conference on Reunited Europe
The Charles de Gaulle University in Lille, France, will host a conference
devoted to Culture and Economy in Reunited Europe at the end of the XXth
Century (Culture et Economie dans la Grande Europe de la fin du XX-ieme
Siecle). The Conference will take place on 25-26 November 1993 and will
concentrate on European Federalism. Papers will be given by professors from
European universities, east and west, and will deal with the various forms of
federalism in the world including the American. Write to Mme (Prof.) Annie Allain,
Language Etrangeres Appliquees Université Charles de Gaulle Lille III, 14 place
Bodart Timal, BP 447, 59058 ROUBAIX , FRANCE for Conference program and more information.
Volunteers Needed to Work in Poland
Citizens Democracy Corps, Inc., places volunteers to serve in its two volunteer
programs to Poland: Business Entrepreneur and Citizen Volunteer. In the
Business Entrepreneur Program, retired American entrepreneurs may contribute
their time and expertise. In the Citizen Volunteer Program, volunteers are
placed with organizations and schools which match their skills most closely. In
both programs, the Polish host provides housing, local transportation, and
translation services. The CDC provides international airfare. Contact: Jon
Fitch, 1-800-394-1945 or Michael Honegger, 202-872-0933.
Good News on Periodicals
Tygodnik Solidarnosc is now
available in the Current Periodicals Room at Rice University's Fondren Library.
Kultura, Przeglad Historyczny and
several other periodicals from Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary are also
available. It took a great deal of knocking but finally it has been opened unto
us. Colleagues from other universities who complain about the scarcity of east
European periodicals in their libraries might want to invest a few hours of
their time to start a collection. Szwede Slavic Books at Stanford is one of the
reliable agents for East and Central European periodicals.
The Single Mother's Home
in Laski near Warsaw is run by the St. Albert Chmielowski Society. The management
and residents of this Home need outside contributions in Polish zlotys or in
dollars. Their address:
Dom Samotnej Matki im. Sw. Alberta
Chmielowskiego
ul. Brzozowa 31
05-081 Laski Warszawskie, Poland
Pro-Life Vote in Poland
On 7 January 1993, the lower House of the Sejm voted 213 for, 171 against, 29
abstentions on the bill abolishing abortion on demand introduced in
Soviet-controlled Poland in 1956. Half of the members of Unia Demokratyczna
voted against the bill, as did 12 members of Zjednoczenie
Chrzescijansko-Narodowe - the latter because the bill was not radical enough,
in their view. Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej (the renamed Communist Party) voted
against the bill. On 30 January 1993 the bill passed the Senate (35 for, 34
against, 20 abstentions). The breakdown by party was similar. On 14 February
1993, President Lech Walesa signed the bill. It became law on 16 March 1993.
The bill says that abortions are not permitted except in case of incest, rape,
immediate danger to mother's health, and proven fetus deformation. Only doctors
or persons performing abortions will be penalized; mothers will not. Penalties
may include suspension of license and up to two years in prison. (Sources: UPI
wire, RFE/RL Report, Donosy)
Surviving Oblivion
The NCAS statistics on American universities suggest that by the year 2000, 43%
of Slavic and east European area faculty will retire, and 40% of these will not
be replaced. Colleagues who fall in this category might do well to start
thinking of how not to leave a folding chair behind.
Return
to April 1993 Issue
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Last updated 02/10/03