Slovo 16 2

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SLOVO, 16.2, AUTUMN 2004

parliamentary elections will be discussed. The third section will account for the evolution of integration policy under the AWS–Unia Wolnosa ci coalition. Lastly, the 2000 presidential election, the collapse of the UW–AWS coalition and the fragmentation of the AWS will be discussed. The formation of AWS Established in June 1996 under the initiative of Marian Krzaklewski, the leader of the Solidarity Trade Union, the AWS incorporated a plethora of ideologically diverse organizations, ranging from Euro-sceptic Catholic nationalists to pro-integrationist liberals. Apart from the NSZZ Solidarnosa ca (Narodowy Niezalezd ny Zwiapzek Zawodowy ‘Solidarnosa ca ’, National Independent Trade Union ‘Solidarity’), the AWS’ largest members were the Porozumienie Centrum (PC, Centre Accord), the Zjednoczenie Chrzesa cijansko-Narodowe (ZChN, Christian-Nationalist Faction), the Konfederacja Polski Niepod¢eglej–Obóz Patriotyczny (KPN–OP, Confederation for Independent Poland — the Patriotic Camp), and the Polski Zwiapzek Rodzin Katolickich (Polish Association of Catholic Families). Regaining parliamentary representation and preventing the Communist successors from maintaining political power was Electoral Action’s raison d’être. As specified in the ‘Declaration of the AWS’, the ‘aim of the Action is the formation of a wide electoral bloc which will have a chance of winning the upcoming parliamentary elections’.2 The ethos of Solidarity 1980, which stood united in its diversity against the common authoritarian enemy, was hence resurrected for the political purposes of the Solidarity-successor elites. The power-sharing arrangements of the AWS reflected the size of its member organizations. The legislative body was the National Commission, consisting of five to seven representatives of the Trade Union and one representative of each of the other member organizations. Krzaklewski was appointed as the chair of the Commission, and the posts of deputy chairmen went to representatives of ‘Solidarity’, the Christian Nationalist Faction, the Confederation for Independent Poland– Patriotic Camp, and the Polish Association of Catholic Families. The executive of the AWS was the Co-ordinating Committee, elected by the National Commission and consisting of a total of ten members, half of whom were Trade Unionists and the remainder represented the five largest member organizations of the movement. Marian Krzaklewski was also appointed as Secretary of the Co-ordinating Committee. The diversity of Electoral Action was soon manifested during an attempt to construct a common stance on European integration at a meeting in March 1997. The liberal Centre Accord, the Conservative–Agrarian Faction (Stronnictwo Konserwatywno–Ludowe, SKL) and Ruch Stu (the One Hundred Movement) advocated speedy accession. The Confederates, the National Christian Faction, and the Catholic Families, on the other hand, were highly sceptical. While not explicitly opposing European integration, they qualified their support by raising numerous and unrealistic conditions. Section 6.8 of the KPN–OP’s program, for example, 2 Andrzej Anusz et al., ABC Akcji Wyborczej Solidarnosa ca (Warsaw: Oficyna Wydawnicza Fulmen, 1997), p. 9.


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