VII. The Contemporary Period, 1945–2000 > B. Europe, 1945–2000 > 7. Eastern Europe, 1945–2000 > a. Poland > 1990, Jan
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  The Encyclopedia of World History.  2001.
 
 
1990, Jan
 
Walesa joined Czech and Hungarian leaders in calling for the withdrawal of Soviet troops.  1
 
Jan. 29
 
The Polish Communist Party dissolved and formed again as the Social Democratic Party.  2
 
March 1
 
Inflation dropped from 78 percent in January to 10 percent in February.  3
 
April 11
 
The Sejm abolished censorship.  4
 
May 8
 
Poland sought rescheduling of its foreign debts (which reached $40,000 million at the end of 1989) by cutting 80 percent of its debt-servicing obligations to secure safe transition to a market economy.  5
 
May–July
 
Solidarity divided. A major dispute arose between Walesa and Mazowiecki on the future structure of the union. On July 16, the Citizens' Movement for Democratic Action Party (ROAD) was formed as a counter to Walesa's Center Alliance, formed in May.  6
 
July 19
 
Gen. Jaruzelski agreed to resign as president to make way for a successor. He officially resigned on Sept. 19.  7
 
Sept.–1991, May
 
The abortion issue. On May 16, 1991, the Sejm voted to halt the passage of the controversial antiabortion bill, passed by the Senate in September 1990. The antiabortion bill, backed by the Roman Catholic Church, was designed to replace the 1956 abortion laws that made abortion free and available on demand.  8
 
Dec
 
Lech Walesa won a landslide victory in the second round of voting in the presidential election held on Dec. 9. He resigned his leadership of Solidarity on Dec. 12 and was sworn in as president of Poland for a five-year term on Dec. 22. He nominated Jan Krzysztof Bielecki, a 39-year-old economist, as the new prime minister.  9
 
 
 
The Encyclopedia of World History, Sixth edition. Peter N. Stearns, general editor. Copyright © 2001 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Maps by Mary Reilly, copyright © 2001 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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