Poland marks anniversary of historic 1989 vote

Wednesday marks the 36th anniversary of Poland's first partially free elections after World War II, a landmark vote that heralded the collapse of communism in the country after decades of totalitarian rule.

Photo:

PAP/Tomasz Waszczuk

On June 4, 1989, partly free elections were held to the lower house of Poland’s parliament, the Sejm, and completely free elections to the upper house, the Senate.

A 1989 Polish election poster designed by Tomasz Sarnecki and based on the 1952 American film "High Noon." Photo: PAP/Tomasz Gzell

The Solidarity opposition movement scored a resounding victory, winning all the seats available to it in the Sejm, and all but one seat in the freely contested Senate.

#OTD in 1989, Poland held its first partially free elections since WW2.

The "Solidarity"-led opposition won 160 out of 161 freely contested lower chamber seats, and 99 out of 100 in the Senate - a crushing victory that marked the beginning of the end of the communist rule. pic.twitter.com/Oa8ZKOZ0q1

— Institute of National Remembrance (@ipngovpl_eng) June 4, 2025

The vote was a milestone that triggered a domino effect across the region, culminating in the fall of the Berlin Wall, a symbol of decades of division between Western Europe and the communist East.

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Source: IAR, PAP

Click on the player icon above for an audio report by Marcin Matuszewski.