Henryk Wujec "We need more solidarity in Europe!" - 25th anniversary of Poland's first free elections

At the invitation of EESC president Henri Malosse, Mr Henryk Wujec, a former member of Solidarność[1] (Solidarity), spoke before the 499th plenary session to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the first legislative elections in Poland.

The 73-year-old graduate from the Faculty of Physics of the University of Warsaw has been a social and political activist since the early 1960s. After the revolution, and the first Polish legislative election on 4 June 1989, Henryk Wujec became first of all a member of the Sejm, the Polish National Assembly, then a co-chairman of the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development, and finally secretary of state in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. These are only some of the functions he has held in the public or private sector. For his tireless commitment he has been honoured with many prizes.

In his speech, Mr Wujec highlighted the importance of the European Union's support for Poland's fight for freedom and democracy, which is now also necessary for the Ukraine. "The EU has to work together to help democratic forces prevail!" he said. Mr Wujec, while quoting Pope John Paul II's famous words: "have no fear", encouraged the members not to give up in the current crisis. Solidarity needs a common goal which is a peaceful and prosperous Europe and to achieve this it is important to involve all citizens. "Never forget - democracy and freedom is not everlasting unless it is renewed every day!"

Georges Dassis, used the Greek word "democracy", which means "power to the people", when alluding to the fact that more than 50% of the European people had given up their right to vote at the last European elections. The reason for this, in his view, was the EU's failure to provide all Europeans with a life in freedom and dignity. He agreed with Mr Wujec that it was high time to express solidarity with our people in Europe.

Mindaugas Maciulevicius pointed out that Europe has undergone a dramatic change from communism to freedom and democracy without a war. "This is an example for the whole world and this change was possible thanks to characters like Mr Wujec, who not only announced that something had to be done but actually went ahead and did it!"

For EESC president Henri Malosse, Mr Wujec was a "hero of the last century whom we have to thank and we must continue our work in his spirit of solidarity".

[1] The independent self-governing trade union "Solidarity" was a Polish trade union federation that emerged on 31 August 1980 at the Gdansk shipyard under the leadership of Lech Wałęsa. It was the first non-communist-controlled trade union in a Warsaw Pact country. Solidarity amassed a total of 9.5 million members before its September 1981 Congress - one-third of the total population of working age in Poland.