The virus of freedom – celebrating 25 years of democracy in Poland

by Daniel Slomka, HIA Fellow

On 4th of June Poland celebrated the 25th anniversary of the first semi-free elections following the communist regime in the country. Were the events that took place 25 years ago the unofficial opening of the 21st century? Did they establish the universality of values and freedoms in which we believe? And where do these values stand today, a generation’s time later? These questions open a great space for discussion. 

 Achievements and challenges for democracy – Prof. Rychard with HIA Fellows in Warsaw

A wise history teacher once told me that the 19th century did not end, as one might logically assume, in the year of 1900, but rather in 1914. It is not the date that matters, she said, but the global social and political atmosphere that characterizes the world in a certain time: in 1914 the “peaceful century” made place to one of the most tragic and tumultuous eras in human history. The 20th century was marked by the atrocities performed by authoritarian regimes that ruined the lives of billions all over the world. Political persecution, racism, totalitarianism, war and genocide were the dominant themes of these sad years.

All this was about to change on the 4th of June, 1989. A stubborn, battle-ridden nation stood up, challenged these negative developments that had affected it so much – and won. The Polish population, largely mobilized by the Solidarity movement, demanded an end to the abuse of their human rights, and called for the return of their fundamental freedoms and of democratic values. After several years of harsh resistance, the communist regime finally understood that one cannot ignore the voice of the people, and agreed for change. The general elections that took place on June 4th were only partially free, and some key positions were reserved for representatives of the old establishment, but they symbolize the point of no return. As put up by Prof. Miroslaw Wyrzykowski from the University of Warsaw, in his meeting with HIA Fellows, “the virus of freedom, of independence, of sovereignty, quickly ‘contaminated’ the whole continent and the world”. The “third wave of democratization” (as coined by Samuel Huntington) was now on full gear, bringing to the reunification of Germany, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and processes of democratic transition in innumerous states.

High noon, June 4, 1989. Solidarity elections poster. Source: Wikipedia.org

Could it be that the 4th of June 1989 was the first day of the 21st century? Is it possible that, just as the 20th century began symbolically in 1914 because of the shift of value systems in the world, so did the year of 1989 herald humanity’s expectations from the new century to come? In the following years, democracy became widely and globally consolidated as the only form of government to be worthy of true public legitimacy; human rights and fundamental freedoms gained the status of “universal”, a title that acknowledges the recognition of their importance by people all over the world, regardless of culture, religion or nationality; out of the ashes of the 1900’s were born generations upon generations who yearned for peace, tolerance and respect.

This is indeed the way we want to see the world in our lifetime, and these are the values that we struggle to support as social activists. In this sense, we would all like to refer to the 4th of June, 1989, as the day in which the world made a crucial step in the right direction. A huge step for the Polish nation, an immeasurable leap for humanity.

Let us not forget, though, that the state of democracy and human rights around the world is far from being satisfactory. On the same day that Polish people happily marched to the ballots, hundreds (if not thousands) of Chinese people were massacred in Tiananmen square, while fighting for the same just cause. How symbolic it is, that the day that we celebrate as a sort of “birthday for democracy” is also a memorial day for all those around the world who still need to struggle for what belongs to them by natural right. In this moment of happiness, let us remember them and make an oath never to abandon them. 

Apart from worrying about the state of democracy in other countries, let us also look at the mirror, and see the immense challenges that democracy and human rights face in our own homes. Trends of growing extremism, discrimination, racism and hate speech, as well as apathy from the “silent majority” towards the democratic procedures and values, should serve as a red light for us. In a way, both trends derive from the economic and social crisis that the world has been going through in the last years. Prof. Andrzej Rychard from the Polish Academy of Sciences, who met the HIA Fellows today, presented three types of public reaction to crisis situations: a loyal strategy, meaning a continuous belief in the existing system; a “voice” strategy, standing for the out-speaking of public dissatisfaction; and an exit strategy, representing the tendency of people (especially young people) to simply abandon the democratic process. As Prof. Rychard put it: “Loud voices of protest are not the real threat to democracy. Rather, the silent withdrawal from the democratic process is the threat.” The democratic withdrawal of which Prof. Rychard spoke stands for the apathy that nibbles the democratic legitimacy. This apathy is the one that stands silent in front of outraging cases of discrimination and hatred and does not raise a cry; it is visible in extremely low voting turnouts, which give disproportionate power to extreme parties that promote politics of hatred; and it endangers the decades-long work of people all over the world to protect their rights – including the work of the Polish nation, which we celebrate today.

Anniversaries are good times to celebrate and to reflect. So today, let us celebrate, and let us reflect on the state of our democracies and on the work that we should do to make it better. Happy 4th of June – Cheers!