Patriotic Movement for National Rebirth

Patriotic Movement for National Rebirth Patriotyczny Ruch Odrodzenia Narodowego
Chairperson	Jan Dobraczyński
Founded	20 July 1982
Dissolved	8 November 1989
Preceded by	Front of National Unity
Headquarters	Warsaw, Poland
Ideology	Socialist patriotism Left-wing nationalism Factions: Marxism–Leninism Agrarian socialism Democratic socialism Catholic socialism Catholic left
Political position	Left-wing Factions: Centre-left to far-left
Slogan	We vow to you, Fatherland (Polish: Ślubujemy Tobie, Ojczyzno)[1]
Politics of Poland Political parties Elections

Patriotyczny Ruch Odrodzenia Narodowego (PRON, English: Patriotic Movement for National Rebirth or National Renaissance Patriotic Movement) was a Polish popular front that ruled the Polish People's Republic. It was created in the aftermath of the martial law in Poland (1982). Gathering various pro-communist and pro-government organizations, it was attempted to show unity and support for the government and the Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR). PRON was created in July 1982 and dissolved in November 1989.

The Patriotic Movement for National Rebirth replaced the previous communist-led coalition, Front of National Unity, and was marked by a different and broader rhetoric. Communist activists retorted to nationalist, patriotic and Catholic rhetoric, trying to improve the public image of the Polish communist regime and appeal to nationalist and left-leaning religious voters.^[2] However, the coalition was not ideologically diverse and was completely dominated by the communist PZPR, with other members of the coalitions submitting to its dominance. As such, the PRON was left-wing and did not question the communist regime in any way.^[3]

Members

The Patriotic Movement for National Rebirth included the following member parties:

Party	Polish name	Emblem	Foundation	Dissolution	Ideology
Polish United Workers' Party	Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza		21 December 1948	30 January 1990	Communism
United People's Party	Zjednoczone Stronnictwo Ludowe		27 November 1949	29 November 1989	Agrarian socialism
Alliance of Democrats	Stronnictwo Demokratyczne		18 September 1937	Still active	Democratic socialism

It also included the following organizations when founded:

• Stowarzyszenie PAX (Pax)
• Chrześcijańskie Stowarzyszenie Społeczne (ChSS)
• Polski Związek Katolicko-Społeczny (PZKS)

It was later joined by many other organizations, such as All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions, Związek Harcerstwa Polskiego and Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Dzieci. Few members of those organizations were aware of their membership in PRON, as PRON members included organizations, not individuals. PRON membership was required by communist propaganda, and necessary for any organization that wanted to exist on political scene with support of the government.

PRON was mentioned in the amended Polish communist constitution, where it replaced the Front of National Unity. Like its predecessor, it was dominated by the PZPR; the minor parties had to accept the PZPR's "leading role" as a condition of their continued existence.

PRON's chairman was the writer Jan Dobraczyński. The foundation committee included in addition to Dobraczyński: Marian Orzechowski, Janusz Reykowski, Andrzej Przypkowski, Edmund Męclewski, Jan Majewski, Andrzej Elbanowski, Józef Chlebowczyk, Władysław Ogrodziński, Walenty Milenuszkin, Wiesław Nowicki, Jerzy Stencel, Elżbieta Ciborowska, Jerzy Kejna, Piotr Perkowski, Józef Kiełb, Jerzy Ozdowski, Stanisław Rostworowski, Gizela Pawłowska, Zbigniew Gertych, Klemens Krzyżagórski, Anatola Klajna and Zbigniew Siatkowski.

It was the sole organisation to put forward candidates in the 1985 election, which proved to be the last elections in which no opposition candidates were permitted to run. As such, it won every seat in the Sejm.

As part of the Polish Round Table Agreement in April 1989 which paved the way for free elections in Poland, PRON was guaranteed 299 out of 460 Sejm seats (65%), with the remaining 161 up for free election with the opposition Solidarity. In the semi-elections that June, Solidarity won every contested seat in the Sejm as well as 99 out of 100 seats in the reestablished Senate. PRON effectively ceased to exist in August after the Democratic Party and United People's Party announced they would be forming an alliance with Solidarity. This reduced the PZPR to a minority in the chamber and precipitated the appointment of Poland's first non-Communist government since World War II. The Patriotic Movement for National Rebirth was formally disbanded in November 1989.

Ideology

The Patriotic Movement for National Rebirth described itself as "a broad and authentic social movement" that unites "workers, peasants, the intelligentsia and all those who want the homeland to be better, who want to turn desires into deeds, and who want to give deeds the most effective dimension." It declared itself open to everyone who "recognise that there is no other way for Poland but socialist development, no more certain a guarantee of its independence than alliance and friendship with the Soviet Union and membership of the community of socialist countries." It also stated that it brings together those "who believe that the guarantor of socialist development is the PZPR, fulfilling a leading role in society in partnership with the ZSL and SD, in constructive cooperation with the associations of lay Catholics and Christians standing on the basis of the systemic principles of socialist Poland".^[2]

Unlike the previous communist-led coalition, the Front of National Unity, PRON was broader as it also included Catholic organisation and sought to extend the appeal of the Polish United Workers' Party by introducing patriotic, nationalist and Catholic rhetoric. Nevertheless, the coalition was dominated by the communist PZPR and was staunchly left-wing in character, with other members of the coalition submitting to supremacy of the PZPR. The coalition became active in the field of nationalist marches and commerations, including the commemoration of September 1939 and adding a nationalist tone to the communist military parades.^[2] Polish historian Waldemar Czachur recalls that the Patriotic Movement for National Rebirth ran its campaign with "full military ceremony, with the participation of young people, veterans, representatives of political and social organisations, municipal, city and provincial authorities. Many commemorations, especially at the regional level, were also initiated by representatives of civil society, often in cooperation with the Catholic Church." In this way, the main goal of the PRON was to improve public image of the communist regime.^[4]

Appealing to Polish voters for support, the coalition recalled achievements of communist Poland, writing: "In the 40 years of People's Poland, we became an industrialised, urbanised, maritime country. The western and northern lands were reclaimed and developed. Revolutionary reforms and socialist transformations freed society from social injustice, unemployment and illiteracy." The party adopted a nationalist slogan and commonly utilized communist youth organisations in its campaign, in some ways appearing similar to the interwar right-wing nationalist activists in Poland. Stressing the nationalist, socialist and also populist character of the party, the coalition used slogans such as: "Won't you cast your vote on Sunday? Poland's enemies will gain!" or "By not voting, you are doing harm to your homeland! Go to the ballot box as soon as possible, be together with the nation."^[1]

Electoral history

Sejm elections

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Position	Outcome
1985	20,554,182	100%	460 / 460		1st	Sole legal coalition
1989	6,600,436	28.7% (contested seats)	299 / 460 0 / 161 (contested seats)	161	2nd	Part of governing coalition

References

Literature

• Patriotyczny Ruch Odrodzenia Narodowego entry at PWN Encyklopedia
• [1] and [2] - entries at WIEM Encyklopedia

This page was last edited on 9 April 2024, at 23:44