ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the evolution of the Polish opposition since the destruction of legal Solidarity by force on 13 December 1981. The phenomenon of opposition in communist states has been frequently debated. It cannot be approached in the same way as its counterparts in democratic, or even authoritarian countries. The opposition’s principal function is to work out an alternative to the government’s program and to form a counterelite capable of implementing it if elected. The democratic process gives those in the opposition a vital control function vis-a-vis those in power. The uniqueness of the Polish case stems from the completeness of the pyramid, from the fact that opposition is present on all its levels at the same time, and from the close, intimate ties linking these levels. Compared to other communist countries, the Polish opposition is unusually large and strong, and profoundly rooted in the national soil.
