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365 Document No. 66: Letter from HSWP CC Signed by Kádár to PUWP CC via Kania September 17, 1981 As a sign of concern over the crisis emanating from other corners of Eastern Europe, Hungary’s communist leader, János Kádár, in the name of the party CC, presses Kania on the question of why the Poles have not yet resolved their situation. Kádár, a moderate particularly on the question of outside intervention, is worried about the relationship among the members of the Warsaw Pact. But his letter also shows that he is not acting entirely on his own initiative. The Soviets are clearly coordinating pressure on Warsaw from all sides. Only Romania chooses at this point not to follow Moscow’s lead. […] Budapest, September 17, 1981 To the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers’ Party For the attention of Comrade Stanisław Kania, First Secretary Warsaw Dear Comrades, The Hungarian communists and our working people are paying close attention to the extraordinary events in the Polish People’s Republic which have been going on for over a year now. Public opinion in our country has been very concerned with the work of the Extraordinary Ninth Congress of the PUWP and people welcomed its resolutions on socialist development, the necessity of the persistent fight against anti-socialist forces, and Poland’s commitment and her responsibility towards our alliance system. Despite justified expectations and hopes, the events of the period since the party Congress have proved that it was not the followers of socialism, but its enemies who took the offensive and sought confrontation and the seizure of power. This fact has been stated and acknowledged by you, the leaders of the Polish party and the Polish State, and by other factors concerned with the welfare of the country and the people. The traditional friendship that binds the Hungarian and Polish people and also our Parties together, our common socialist goals, as well as the collective responsibility for the maintenance of peace and safety in our countries, prompt us to express repeatedly our deep anxiety for you in the present acute situation. We are also urged to do so as we are receiving questions from our own people—expressing sincere concern and sometimes even impatience—which we find more 366 and more difficult to answer. These repeated questions tend to ask where Poland is heading, how long will it take for the escalation of forces and action to destroy the socialist system, what Polish communist and Polish supporters of socialism are doing, when they are going to take resolute action to protect the real interests of the Polish working people and the common interests of our nations. We were all astonished by the atmosphere of the congress of the trade union Solidarity: the series of anticommunist and anti-Soviet statements, the unrestrained demagoguery of ringleaders by which they mislead and deceive masses of workers who want to remedy mistakes but not to do away with socialism. In fact, your Politburo and the communiqué of September 15 dealing with the character of the Solidarity congress came to the same conclusion. It is obvious that definite steps must be taken to repel an attack which disregards and imperils the achievements of the Polish people attained by blood and sweat, which, in the difficult situation in Poland, announces a program of devastation and anarchy instead of social reconciliation and constructive programs, which foully abuses the ideas of freedom and democracy, denies the principles of socialism and keeps on stirring up uncontrolled emotions, instead of enhancing common sense and a sense of responsibility. Dear Polish comrades, The provocative message of the Solidarity congress directed to the workers of socialist countries is nothing other than the propagation of the same unrealistic, irresponsible demagoguery on an international level. It is evidently a step suggested by international reaction forces to divide and set the people of socialist countries against one another. The Hungarian people highly appreciate their socialist achievements obtained at the cost of painful experiences and exhausting work. The ringleaders of Solidarity cherish vain hopes. The Hungarian workers flatly reject the blatant provocation and any undisguised effort to intervene in their domestic affairs. The greatest concern of our party and people is now the activity of counterrevolutionary forces in Poland which is directed not merely against the Polish working class and the vital national interests of the Polish people, but towards a weakening of our friendly relations, our multilateral cooperation...

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