biography
| name: |
Wał&edotbelow;sa, Lech
|
pronunciation:
[vawensa]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1943– )
|
| biography:
| Polish president (1990–5) and former trade unionist, born in Popowo, N Poland. A Gdańsk shipyard worker, he became leader of the independent trade union, Solidarity, which openly challenged the Polish government's economic and social policies. He held negotiations with the leading figures in the Church and State, but was detained by the authorities when martial law was declared in 1981. He was released in 1982, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983. He continued to be a prominent figure in Polish politics, and was much involved in the negotiations which led to Solidarity being involved in government in 1989. When the constitution was amended (1990) to allow free presidential elections, Wał&edotbelow;sa gained a landslide victory. He was defeated by Alexander Kwasniewski in 1995. |
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