Tadeusz Mazowiecki - Government of Tadeusz Mazowiecki

Government of Tadeusz Mazowiecki

On 13 September 1989 during his parliamentary speech introducing his new cabinet and government program for parliamentary approval, Mazowiecki had a dizzy spell which necessitated a one hour break in proceedings. However, it was not to be an omen of things to come, 402 legislators voted in favour, 13 abstained, and none voted against, the historic formation of this first non-communist government in Eastern Europe for decades. Mazowiecki's government managed to carry out many fundamental reforms in a short period. The political system was thoroughly changed; a full range of civil freedoms as well as a multi-party system were introduced and the country's emblem and name were changed (from the People's Republic of Poland to the Republic of Poland). On December 29, 1989, the fundamental changes in the Polish Constitution were made. By virtue of these changes, the preamble was deleted, the chapters concerning political and economic forms of government were changed, the chapters concerning trade unions were rewritten and a uniform notion of possession was introduced. Thanks to these changes, the economic transformation was enabled. The set of reforms originating under Mazowiecki's government (named after its creator – Balcerowicz's plan) enabled the destruction of hyperinflation, changes in the economy and the introduction of free market mechanisms and privatization.