Lech Walesa
The Europe of Solidarity
Changes in Europe were made possible by Solidarity: solidarity between people, international solidarity and the activities of “Solidarnosc” which, founded 25 years ago, was the first trade union acting for the interests of citizens independent of the Communist authorities.
Having thrown off, by mutual effort, the totalitarian yoke, and leaving behind Europe’s division into East and West, we have opened a new era of integration and globalisation. Now we are battling for its shape, and painstaking efforts are being undertaken by the family of European states to strengthen and widen the European Union. Today, this is the only chance for the further development of the community of states and nations of our continent, the only way to level off differences between societies that arose during the Cold War and to bring a realistic chance of peaceful and reliable coexistence. However, building a community is not easy and in the path to integration we see frequent fluctuations in attitudes of states and societies. Interests of individual states start to dominate over the common good and people tend to forget how much can be achieved by cooperation. Poland and other countries that have been members of the European Union for just over a year never expected alms, but wanted above all to participate in the joint act of creating European unity.
We need one another very much. Poland needs Europe; and Europe needs Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and all other states and nations of our continent. Nations struggling with their problems and systemic changes need us particularly – us united and speaking with one voice. Community of action towards the East, the United States and the countries of Asia should be the motto of modern European policy. When supporting changes in the Ukraine and Georgia we must be aware that building democracy must not be done in isolation and that Europe’s solidarity with these countries is the first condition of success for peaceful revolutions. There are also oppressed nations close to us; we are strongly concerned about the situation in Belarus. What is needed there is comprehensive grassroots work, as well as real and moral support for Belarusians, so that they can believe that freedom is possible and that truth must win.
Building a common European future is a particular task for political and decision-taking circles. They should work with vision, determination and patience towards deepening the integration while respecting tradition and culture and placing the uniting of Europe into the framework of a globalised world. Only such a Europe will be one that matches the standards of a new era. What we do with our victory and with Europe in the era of globalisation depends solely on us. I strongly believe that one day this new age will be referred to as the era of a supranational people’s Solidarity.
Lech Walesa (Biography)
