Eastern Europe

On 29 November 1987 the Polish government called a referendum on a programme of market-oriented economic reforms, asking for approval although "this will mean going through a difficult two to three year period". It got a 60-odd per cent majority on a poor turnout, less than the 50% of the whole electorate which it wanted. The banned Solidarnosc trade union movement, although its leaders and even the majority of its rank and file had swung to pro-market views, had called for a boycott of the referendum. Socialists internationally should support Solidarnosc as a workers' movement - irrespective of the ideological declarations of its leaders or even of its activists - while criticising the pro-market views and trying to strengthen the left and socialist wing in the movement.

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The fall of Stalinism in Eastern Europe brought a triumph for the bourgeoisie. But with what contradictions, and for how long?