Poland marks 35 years since landmark 1989 talks

Poland has marked the 35th anniversary of its landmark 1989 Round Table talks that helped end communism across Central and Eastern Europe after decades of totalitarian rule.

Poland’s landmark Round Table talks between the ruling communists and the Solidarity opposition movement took place in Warsaw from February 6 to April 5, 1989. They set the stage for a transition to democracy and the breakup of the communist bloc.

Photo: PAP/Jan Bogacz

Friday marks exactly 35 years since Poland's democratic opposition and the country's former communist leaders concluded the talks, which paved the way to the collapse of communism in the country and across the region.

35 lat temu podpisano porozumienia Okrągłego Stołu#PAPinformacje https://t.co/1JNJILYBoZ

— PAP (@PAPinformacje) April 5, 2024

Poland’s Round Table talks between the ruling communists and the Solidarity opposition movement took place in Warsaw from February 6 to April 5, 1989. They set the stage for a transition to democracy and the breakup of the communist bloc.

After two months, the Polish Round Table Talks ended #OTD in 1989.

It was a series of negotiations between the officials of the communist regime of Poland and members of the opposition, which paved the way for the first democratic election after WW2 and the end of communism. pic.twitter.com/KnxoXPmq63

— Institute of National Remembrance (@ipngovpl_eng) April 5, 2024

The talks opened the way to partially free elections to the lower house of Poland’s parliament, the Sejm, and completely free elections to the upper house, the Senate, in June that year.

As a result of the talks, Poland’s communist government agreed to legalize the Solidarity trade union and to move toward political pluralism, freedom of speech and independence of courts.

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Source: IAR, PAP