2019-09-30 13:58 update: 2019-10-01, 14:36
Kornel Morawiecki. Photo PAP/Tomasz Gzell
Anti-communist opposition activist, leader of Fighting Solidarity and Senior Speaker of the Sejm (lower house) Kornel Morawiecki, father of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, has died at the age of 78, the PM's Office reported on Monday.
Kornel Morawiecki died following a short battle with cancer.
He had recently been awarded the Order of the White Eagle for his achievements in public service.
President Andrzej Duda tweeted on Monday that "Kornel Morawiecki, a steadfast warrior who fought for a free and independent Poland, has passed away, the creator and a symbol of Solidarnosc Walczaca (Fighting Solidarity). Hail to his memory. RIP."
Also, ruling Law and Justice (PiS) leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski referred to Kornel Morawiecki as an outstanding person, who pursued an independent Poland.
As a student, Kornel Morawiecki was an anti-communist dissident. In 1982, he established Solidarnosc Walczaca (Fighting Solidarity) after the imposition of martial law in Poland (on Dec. 13, 1981). Fighting Solidarity comprised those Solidarity activists who did not agree with the moderate programme represented by the Solidarity trade union and favoured more radical action.
The organisation issued underground newspapers, organised street demonstrations and broadcast underground radio programmes. It boycotted the Round Table Agreement - which was a result of negotiations between Poland's communist authorities and a part of the opposition - and the results of the partially-free parliamentary elections of June 4, 1989.
After 1990, he headed the Freedom Party, critical of elements of the old system in post-communist Poland.
In 2010, he ran in the presidential election and, in 2015, he became an MP, elected from the lists of Kukiz'15 movement. He was a senior speaker at the first sitting of the Sejm of the eighth term. In 2016, he left Kukiz'15 and founded the Free and Solidarity group.
He was the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party candidate in the October 13 elections to the Senate from the Podlaskie province, north-eastern Poland. (PAP)
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