KrakowInformer.com

Left: Donald Tusk, Lech Walesa, Angela Merkel

On Thursday Wawel castle looked besieged, as hundreds of policemen, security agents and soldiers surrounded it to protect a number prominent guests who had come to Krakow to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first free elections after 50 years of communist control. Present at the castle’s courtyard conference were: the chancellor of Germany, the prime ministers of the Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia – all countries that used to be the part of the former Eastern Block.

Among the celebrities of the post communist breakthrough Krakow welcomed Lech Walesa, the leader of anti communist opposition movement „Solidarność” and Vaclav Havel, who played a significant role in abolishing communism in the Czech Republic.

"Mr. Walesa, thank you once again" said the prime minister expressing the nation’s gratitude to Lech Walesa for his input in political changes of that time. – In several weeks this humble worker managed to inspire with his example 10 million Poles, who created a movement that swept change across modern Europe – stressed Tusk. He also thanked Pope John Paul II and those thousands of anonymous people who were heroes of that time and build the „Solidarity” movement, and who nowadays are heroes of solidarity between people – e.g. Jurek Owsiak, a charity organization leader.

- Our experience says, that whoever forgets about solidarity and freedom looses that freedom very quickly – said the prime minister stressing that egoism, conflicts and aggression are not a response to global problems.

Also the invited officials spoke about the meaning of 1989 events,and in the end they appealed to the young for virtue and courage to uphold the achievments of the past 20 years and to appreciate their freedom, and respect Poland's traditions and rule of law. However not everybody spent this day in peaceful celebration.

A group of anarchist supported by a few social protest groups marched from the Main Train Station through Planty park to Wawel castle, where the leaders of each group proclaimed their demands: direct democracy, social privileges for residents of tenements and among others. However no serious violations of law were noted.