Amendments
During its 45 years of service, the Constitution of the People's Republic of Poland was subject to many changes, with its text amended 24 times.
The most known amendment was that of 10 February 1976. This amendment declared that Poland was a socialist country, the PZPR was the leading force in the building of socialism and Poland was an eternal friend of the Soviet Union. This amendment caused the protest resulting in the Letter of 59.
Some of the biggest changes which took place with the beginning of the fall of communism in 1989 were:
- In April 1989, the April Novelization (nowela kwietniowa) was passed, restoring the Senate of Poland and the office of President of Poland. The first president of Poland since 1952 would be Wojciech Jaruzelski, elected in 1989.
- In December 1989, the Contract Sejm changed the name of the country (from the People's Republic of Poland into the Republic of Poland) and removed references to Poland being a socialist state.
- On 17 October 1992, much of the constitution was replaced by the Small Constitution of 1992.
Read more about this topic: Constitution Of The People's Republic Of Poland
Famous quotes containing the word amendments:
“Both of us felt more anxiety about the South—about the colored people especially—than about anything else sinister in the result. My hope of a sound currency will somehow be realized; civil service reform will be delayed; but the great injury is in the South. There the Amendments will be nullified, disorder will continue, prosperity to both whites and colored people will be pushed off for years.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)