Solidarity is back on the streets THE famed Solidarity banner—an icon of Poland’s struggle against communism—has returned to the streets again of late, carried by thousands of union members demanding change. But unlike 30 years ago, when protesters wanted an end to the one-party Communist state, they now have the country’s centre-right government firmly in their sights.Starting on September 11th, Warsaw saw four consecutive days of union-organised protests, culminating in one of the largest marches in Poland in recent years. Jan Guz, leader of the All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions, warned that if the government failed to draw the right conclusions from the demonstrations “we will block the country”.For years Poland has been praised for transforming its economy from Communist basket-case to one of the strongest in Europe. But the troubles of the euro zone finally caught up with it this year, reducing growth over the year to March to 0.5%. The unemployment rate hovers around 13%; in places such as Skarzysko-Kamienna, a dusty town south of Warsaw, the rate is twice that.The anaemic economy helped Solidarity to call its members onto…
