Akcja Wyborcza Solidarnosc

Akcja Wyborcza Solidarnosc (AWS), meaning Election Union of Solidarity, is a political party in Poland. It was originally a coalition and since 1997, a party in Poland. The party united liberal, conservative and Christian democratic forces. In 1996, Marian Krzaklewski became the chairman of AWS. In the elections of 1997 AWS formed a coalition with the Unia Wolności under Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek. After the elections AWS assembled as a regular party, which received Ruch Społeczny (social movement). Reforms relating to domestic affairs, the entry to NATO in 1999 and the approximation to the European Union led to internal-party contrasts. 2001 saw the party beginning to disintegrate as leading members of the party moved to the recreated Platforma Obywatelska, as well as to the Prawo i Sprawiedliwość and to the Ruch Odbudowy Polski. Jerzy Buzek took over the party presidency and the party was renamed to Akcja Wyborcza Solidarność Prawicy (AWSP). The elections from 2001 were a fisaco and the party has been active only on a local level since this time.