„Ja, ja, Ihr geht, Schritt für Schritt, zu Fuß, doch die Welt fährt mit dem Auto …“. Die Fernsehdebatte zwischen Lech Wałesa und Alfred Miodowicz und ihre Bedeutung für die Aufnahme von Verhandlungen am Runden Tisch
“Yes, OK, you’re moving ... step by step, on foot. But the world’s driving a car”. The television debate between Lech Wałęsa and Alfred Miodowicz and its significance in bringing about round-table negotiations

Summary/Abstract: In the mid-November 1988, Lech Wałęsa, chairman of the banned trade union Solidarność, was unexpectedly invited by Alfred Miodowicz, chairman of the governmentbacked official trade unions, to a public debate on television. Contrary to the fears of the opposition and to Miodowicz’s expectations, Wałęsa emerged as the victor. A few weeks later, the general assembly of the Communist Party officially declared its willingness to enter into round-table negotiations with the opposition. Was it then this television debate, as the Prime Minister at that time, Mieczysław Rakowski, recorded in his memoirs, that brought about a new political situation? It is the aim of this article to analyse the background, significance and consequences of this media event. It shows that Miodowicz aimed to gain Solidarność as allies, and reconstructs the reasons why. It analyses changes in the relationship between the regime and the opposition that was brought about by changes in international politics, the worsening crisis of the economy, the failure of the referendum in 1987, and the wave of strikes in 1988. It puts forward the thesis that the television debate did not in fact create any new political situation, it made those changes apparent, and strengthened both Wałęsa’s position and the position of the reformers within the Party.

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