Wałęsa, Lech (lĕkh väwĕn`zə), 1943–, Polish labor and political leader. He worked as an electrician at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk but was dismissed in 1976 for his antigovernment protests. In 1980 striking workers at the shipyard won his reinstatement, and he assumed leadership of the independent trade union Solidarity Solidarity, Polish independent trade union federation formed in Sept., 1980. Led by Lech Wałęsa , it grew rapidly in size and political power and soon posed a threat to Poland's Communist government by its sponsorship of labor strikes and other forms of
..... Click the link for more information. . A moderate, he gained numerous concessions from the authorities before his arrest and internment in the military crackdown of 1981. He was released in Nov., 1982, and in 1983 was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1987, he helped block Jaruzelski's reform initiatives by organizing a boycott of the government referendum, and in 1988 he led a series of nationwide strikes. In 1989 he negotiated an agreement with the government under which Solidarity was legalized and allowed to campaign as a political party in the upcoming elections. By the end of Aug., 1989, a Solidarity-led coalition government was in power, but Wałęsa became increasingly critical of Premier Tadeusz Mazowiecki. In Dec., 1990, Wałęsa was elected president of Poland, defeating Mazowiecki, and resigned his Solidarity post. Wałęsa failed to win reelection in 1995, losing to Aleksander Kwaśniewski Kwaśniewski, Aleksander (kwäshnyĕf`skē), 1954–, Polish politician, president of Poland (1995–), b. Bialogard.
..... Click the link for more information. , a former Communist who was the Democratic Left Alliance candidate. He ran again in 2000 but received only 1% of the vote.

Bibliography

See his autobiography, The Struggle and the Triumph (1992).

Walesa, Lech

(born Sept. 29, 1943, Popowo, near Wloclawek, Pol.) Polish labour leader and president of Poland (1990–95). An electrician, he worked in the Lenin Shipyard at Gdansk, Pol. (1967–76), but he was fired for his antigovernment activities. In 1980 he joined workers in a strike and soon became leader of the Solidarity trade union. The union was banned in 1981, and he was detained into 1982. In 1983 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace; fearing involuntary exile, he remained in Poland while his wife, Danuta, traveled to Norway to accept the prize on his behalf. He continued to direct the outlawed union until it received legal recognition in 1988. Solidarity won an overwhelming victory in free elections in June 1989, and after Walesa refused to form a coalition government with the communists, the Parliament was forced to accept a Solidarity-led government, though Walesa himself refused to serve as premier. In 1990 he won Poland's first direct presidential election by a landslide, and he helped guide Poland into a free-market economy. His confrontational style eroded his popularity, and he was narrowly defeated in his bid for reelection in 1995.