Defending Walesa’s Legacy in Poland Is Getting Tougher
In the opposition stronghold of Gdansk, there’s resignation that the ruling nationalists will win again in another key election for Europe.
Members of the Solidarity trade union walk by the Gdansk Shipyard gate during anniversary events on June 4.
Photographer: Omar Marques/Getty Images
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As celebrations go, it was a big one in Gdansk. The city where Lech Walesa famously made a stand against the communist regime marked the anniversary of Poland’s peaceful transition to democracy 30 years ago.
When it comes to commemorating the past, though, nothing is straightforward in Poland nowadays, even for something that until recently was widely regarded as the country’s biggest political triumph.