The Round Table Talks were held mainly in the historical Namiestnikowski Palace on ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście in Warsaw - the current Presidential Palace Courtesy of ec.europa.eu

Konrad Kiedrzyński: What was the role of the Polish Round Table Agreement in the process of Poland's regaining independence and the fall of communism?

Łukasz Kamiński: Launching talks between the representatives of the communist regime and a selected part of the opposition was a breakthrough event for Poland and the final contribution to the fall of communism.

Still, we need to remember that the communists did not intend to give away their power during those talks, as they instead preferred to reform the system. It was only [after] the June 4 elections that we witnessed the fall of the regime. This encouraged other [Soviet Union dominated] countries to demand freedom. As a result, one year after the Round Table meetings, Europe had only one country under communist rule – Albania.

While the Round Table Agreement spurred the fall of the system in other countries, it is the fall of the Berlin Wall that is perceived as a symbol of the end of the communist era, why is that so?

The fall of the Berlin Wall was much more spectacular and dramatic event than a several-month series of talks by a group of people in Warsaw. This is the reason for the greater recognizability of the event worldwide. Yet, we should remember that the Berlin Wall would not have fallen at that time, had it not been preceded by the Round Table Talks as well as democratic changes in Hungary.

Should the Round Table be the symbol of the end of communism in Poland, then?
Personally, I think such a symbol is June 4, when the first [partly] free elections took place. This date is the mutual achievement of our whole nation as we showed our will to regain freedom.

As time has gone by, criticism of the Round Table Agreement has arisen. Many people claim that the talks led to a mere legalization of the communist regime, rather that to its complete removal. What is your opinion on such claims?

The so-called “black legend” of the Round Table Agreement is a reaction to its “white legend,” which stressed the positive aspects of the event only and did not accept any criticism. Obviously, the democratic changes could have been faster. The question is, however: What would have happened without the Round Table and whether our way to independence would not have taken longer if it had never happened.

Do you think that Poland is past the transition phase out of communism?

I think we are at the end of our path [to complete freedom]. Of course, we could ask ourselves if we could have [transitioned] through this process much faster, when it comes to the sphere of [old] attitudes and mentality. Still, we should remember that we are a completely different nation today than [we were] twenty years ago – thanks to the Round Table Talks.