Misplaced Pages

Politics of Poland
Government Constitution of Poland Law Human rights
Legislature Parliament of Poland Current Parliament Sejm Marshal Szymon Hołownia (PL2050) Deputy Marshals Senate Marshal Małgorzata Maria Kidawa- Błońska (PO) Deputy Marshals
Executive President of Poland Andrzej Duda (I) Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk (PO) Cabinet Ministries
Judiciary Supreme Court of Poland First President Małgorzata Manowska Constitutional Tribunal President Julia Przyłębska Supreme Administrative Court State Tribunal
Elections Presidential Parliamentary Local Referendums
Political parties Major political parties Law and Justice Civic Platform Other parties
Administrative divisions Voivodeship voivodes marshals Counties (powiat) Communes (gmina) Cities and towns
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister: Radosław Sikorski Diplomatic missions of / in Poland Ambassadors
Related topics Economy History (political) Armed forces
Poland portal Other countries
v t e

A referendum on political and economic reforms was held in Poland on 29 November 1987. The government's aim in holding the referendum was to obtain a mandate for difficult economic and political reforms. Around a third of eligible voters did not participate, defying the regime. Only 44% of Poland's 26 million eligible voters voted yes to the question on economic reform, and 46% voted yes to the second question on "democratisation" in Poland. Even though a majority of the votes cast supported the propositions, according to the rules of the referendum the majority of eligible voters had to vote yes in order for the referendum to pass. The resulting failure of the referendum was unprecedented, as it was the first time that Communist authorities in Eastern Europe had lost a vote.

Questions

Voters were presented with two questions:

1. Are you for the support of radical economic reform?
2. Are you for a deep democratisation of the political life?

The first proposal would allow the government to carry out the "full government program for radical economic recovery," aimed at "improving living conditions," on the understanding that this would require a "difficult" two-to-three-year period of "rapid changes." The second would lead to the introduction a new "Polish model" for "democratising political life, aimed at strengthening self-government, extending the rights of citizens and increasing their participation" in running the country.

Results

Question I

Question II

References

1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1491 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
2. ^ Poland Thanks for Asking, but Time, 14 December 1987
3. Nohlen & Stöver, p1498
4. Abraham Brumberg Poland: The New Opposition The New York Review of Books, Volume 35, Number 2, 18 February 1988

v t e Elections and referendums in Poland
Presidential elections	1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025
Parliamentary elections	1919 1922 1928 1930 1935 1938 1947 1952 1957 1961 1965 1969 1972 1976 1980 1985 1989 1991 1993 1997 2001 2005 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 Next
Local elections	1916–17 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1929 1933–34 1936 1938–39 1954 1958 1961 1965 1969 1973 1976 1980 1984 1988 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2024
European elections	2004 2009 2014 2019 2024
Referendums	1946 1987 1996 1997 2003 2015 2023
Silesian Sejm elections	1922 1930 (May) 1930 (Nov) 1935
See also: Elections in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

• Solidarity (Polish trade union)
• Referendums in Poland
• 1987 referendums
• 1987 in Poland
• Reform in Poland
• November 1987 events in Europe