On August 31, 1980, Poland’s communist rulers signed a key agreement with striking workers at the Gdańsk shipyard that led to the establishment of Solidarity, the first independent trade union in communist Eastern Europe.
In a message to mark the 41st anniversary of that landmark event, Andrzej Duda said that “the events of August 1980 were a turning point" in modern Polish history.
"They were a great triumph of freedom and solidarity, two ideals that formed the core of the Polish national ethos," he added.
"Those taking part in the strikes at the time demanded respect for fundamental workers' rights, greater freedom and a say in managing their enterprises, and, above all, the possibility of creating free, independent trade unions," Duda said in his message.
"Those demands captured the essence of democracy: nothing about us without us," he added.
Duda has previously said that August 1980 was the foundation of a free Poland” and "a historic breakthrough that gave rise to momentous changes which transformed Europe and the world."
He added that the freedom movement in Poland at the time became an inspiration for other nations and helped bring about the fall of communism throughout Eastern Europe.
A raft of events have been planned in Poland and beyond to celebrate the 41st anniversary of Solidarity and the signing of Poland’s milestone 1980 August Agreements.
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Source: PAP, prezydent.pl