25th Anniversary of the First Free Elections in Poland; June 4, 2014

[kbk]

June 4, 2014 marks the 25th anniversary of the first partially-free, democratic elections in Poland after the fall of the communism.

On this day high-profile events will be held in Warsaw. Official celebrations with foreign dignitaries will be held at the Castle Square and the nearby Royal Castle, led by the President of Poland, with several dozen of official guests from the whole world, including 20 heads of state and government (20 is already confirmed, more to come), "crowned heads and representatives of the European royal courts", leaders of the European Union, the Secretary General of the United Nations, official Church representatives, and several Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

The Polish celebrations are a part of pan-Central and Eastern European celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the end of the Cold War and fall of the Iron Curtain. Another official events will be held later this year in Budapest, Leipzig, Bratislava and Prague with the Presidents of Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary and other heads of state and government in attendance.

Oficjalna strona Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej / ÅšwiÄ™to WolnoÅ›ci - official website of the "Święto Wolności" (meaning The Celebration of Freedom or the Festival of Freedom), launched by the official website of the President of Poland (Polish only).

According to a Polish Press Agency note from last week, the King and Queen of Belgium will be among the official guests at the 25th anniversary celebrations of the first free, democratic elections in Poland after the fall of the communism in 1989. Among other high-profile non-royal guests will be the Presidents of the United States, France, Germany, most Central and Eastern European countries, and, as they say "representatives of the European royal courts".
No other particular royals than the Belgian royal couple are not yet confirmed (or anounced) to attend the celebrations, but they say only that "crowned heads and representatives of the European royal courts will attend".

 

[kbk]

Their Majesties the King and Queen to visit Warsaw in the company of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. They will attend ceremonies to mark the 25th anniversary of the first free elections in Poland.

La Monarchie belge: Accueil - Actueel - Agenda - 25ème anniversaire des premières élections libres en Pologne

 

[kbk]

03-06-2014 25ème anniversaire de la Liberté polonaise Varsovie, République de Pologne Son Altesse Royale le Grand-Duc assistera aux célébrations du 25ème anniversaire de la Liberté polonaise. Le Solidarity Award Gala au Château Royal sera suivi d’un dîner officiel au Kubicki Arcades en présence de nombreux Chefs d’Etat et de personnalités. Le mercredi 4 juin, après avoir assisté à la messe pour la Liberté, célébrée en la Cathédrale Saint-Jean de Varsovie par le Secrétaire d’Etat auprès du Saint Siège, le cardinal Pietro Parolin; S.A.R. le Grand-Duc participera à la cérémonie officielle sur la Place Royale en présence de nombreux invités d’honneur. Après un déjeuner officiel au Palais Présidentiel, offert par Son Excellence Monsieur Bronisław Komorowski, président de Pologne, un discours en début d’après-midi du président de la république devant l’Assemblée plénière du Sejm et du Sénat, clôturera la visite. Agenda - Cour Grand-Ducale de Luxembourg

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The Earl of Wessex will carry out engagements in Poland from 4 to 5 June. On 4 June he will represent HM The Queen at the official celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the first free elections in Poland since the II world war.

 

[kbk]

US president arrives in Warsaw

President of the Republic of Poland / News / News / US president arrives in Warsaw

 

[kbk]

The Grand Duke of Luxembourg is already in Poland as he attended the Solidarity Award ceremony and official dinner at the Kubicki's Arcades in the reconstructed terrace part of the Royal Castle in Warsaw, on June 3.
The host of the party was the President of the Republic of Poland, Mr Bronislaw Komorowski. Grand Duke Henri was accompanied by over 500 other distinguished guests with a dozen of other heads of state and government among them, including the Presidents of the United States, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the President-elect of Ukraine, US Secretary of State John Kerry, former President of Poland, Lech Walesa, the Prime Minister of Poland, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State and special representative of HH the Pope, and others.

A photo from the evening (from the left: President-elect of Ukraine, President of Hungary, President of Croatia, President of Lithuania, President of the United States, President of Poland (speaking), First Lady of Poland, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, President of Romania):
http://i61.tinypic.com/2z5izgk.jpg

The official anniversary celebrations are scheduled for today and there are going to be at least twice as much highest-profile foreign dignitaries as yesterday attending, including royals. The Grand Duke will be joined by the King and Queen of Belgium, the Earl of Wessex and probably some other representatives of the European royal courts (I hope so).

http://lux-arazzi.blogspot.com/2014/06/about-us-presidents-and-luxembourgish.html - the Luxarazzi blog about the Grand Duke meeting Obama at the dinner yesterday
http://www.theroyalresource.com/thr...of-fall-of-communism-in-poland.559/#post-2815 - the Royal Resource about the event

 

[kbk]

Several other photos from the evening:

President Obama makes toast with Lech Walesa, the legendary leader of the Solidarity movement, former President of Poland and Nobel Peace laureate:
http://i60.tinypic.com/fmto1s.jpg

US Secretary of State John Kerry talks with President-elect Poroshenko of Ukraine:
http://i62.tinypic.com/30bhc05.jpg

President Obama, joined by Mrs Ewa Kopacz, the Marshal of the Sejm (standing to his left; Sejm is the lower house of the Polish Parliament and its Marshal is the second-ranking state official in Poland), talks with President Zeman of the Czech Republic:
http://i58.tinypic.com/27zc5qd.jpg

President Obama speaks with President Grybauskaite:
http://i57.tinypic.com/rkngia.jpg

No more photos of the only (as far as I am aware) royal guest at the dinner, the Grand Duke :/. Hope to catch sth more from today's events.

 

[kbk]

In the early morning on 4 June, some of the official guests attended a special "mass for Freedom" at the St. John's Archcathedral in Warsaw, concelebrated by the Cardinal Pietro Parilon, Vatican Secretary of State and special representative of the Pope on this occassion. Among the attendees were the Polish Presidential couple, the Belgian royal couple (Queen Mathilde and President Komorowski are cousins!), the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, President of Romania, President of Malta, and President of Latvia. Card. Parolin read a special message from Pope Francis.

The Komorowskis greeting the Belges:
http://i61.tinypic.com/34ox06q.jpg
http://i60.tinypic.com/281abgm.jpg

Here you can see Grand Duke, standing besides the President:

http://facetoface.de/webgate/preview.php?UURL=4afcf0ef5765162f80830aa50bfcee8f&IMGID=32096746


Some pictures from the mass, many of them with the King and Queen of Belgium (no much of Henri there, but he is reported to attend the event):

East News Poland agencja fotograficzna - Obchody 25-lecia Wolności, strona 1

Belga Image - Editorial

APA-PictureDesk

face to face

 

[kbk]

President of Poland Bronislaw Komorowski (C), German President Joachim Gauck (3- R), Czech President Milos Zeman (R), Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic (3- L) and Hungarian President Janos Ader (L) during a meeting with Polish, German, Czech, Slovak and Hungarian youth '1989 - Generation of Freedom' as part of the 'Freedom Day' celebrations at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland, 04 June 2014. In 2014, Poland celebrates the 25 th anniversary of the first partly free election after World War II, which brought to end decades of communist rule in Poland:

http://www.picturedesk.com/bild-dis...searchID=1dca32d4-87af-4322-b6e5-5aed62e05ff0

 

[kbk]

There are top official representatives from over 50 countries from the whole world attending the Freedom celebrations in Poland today, TVN24 is reporting: 50 zagranicznych delegacji w Polsce. Secret Service i BOR w gotowości - TVN24. Among them are a dozen (maybe several dozen? I can't find an official list of guests!) of heads of state and government. Most recently the President of Germany, Mr Gauck, and Prime Minister of Canada, Mr Harper, have arrived. (the Belgian royal couple came very, very early in the morning, as they attended the mass on 8).

https://twitter.com/pmharper/status/474091115155820544/photo/1

 

[marta19pl]

Msza za wolno?? - fakty.interia.pl

 

[zarat]

In the early morning on 4 June, some of the official guests attended a special "mass for Freedom" at the St. John's Archcathedral in Warsaw, concelebrated by the Cardinal Pietro Parilon, Vatican Secretary of State and special representative of the Pope on this occassion. Among the attendees were the Polish Presidential couple, the Belgian royal couple (Queen Mathilde and President Komorowski are cousins!), the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, President of Romania, President of Malta, and President of Latvia. Card. Parolin read a special message from Pope Francis.

The Queen Mathilde's mother was born as countess Komorowska (her family was also connected with Sapieha) but unfortunately queen doesn't speak Polish.

 

[Molly2101]

Was Edward meant to attend this or was he invited as he was simply in Poland on another matter?

 

[kbk]

A family photo of the official foreign guests at the Freedom celebrations in Warsaw, on June 4. The main event took place at the Royal Castle Square. The President of Poland, as host, and the President of the United States made speeches. An English-language summary of the event and the speeches can be found here - http://www.president.pl/en/news/new...ational-tradition-source-of-our-strength.html

Standing from the left: President of Hungary, János Áder, President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö, ambassador of Spain, Agustin Nuñez Martinez, President of Latvia, Andris Berzinsc, Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Boerge Brende, President of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaite, Swedish Foreign Minister, Carl Bildt, President of Austria, Heinz Fischer, Deputy Prime Minister of Portugal, Paulo Portas, Earl of Wessex, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey, Bülent Arinç, Queen of Belgium, President-elect of Ukraine, Petro Poroszenko, King of the Belgians, President of the Czech Republic, Milosz Zeman, President of the United States, Barack Obama, President of Albania, Bujar Niszani, President of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski, First Lady of Albania, Odeta, First Lady of Poland, Anna, President of Matla, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Spouse of the President of Malta, Edgarem, President of Slovakia, Ivan Gasparovic, Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, President of Romania, Traian Bacsescu, Greek Foreign Minister, Ewangelos Wenizelos, President of Croatia, Ivo Josipović, Estonian Foreign Minister, Urmas Paet*, President of Bulgaria, Rosen Plewnelijew, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Willem Kok, President of Germany, Joachim Gauck. The President of French Republic, Francois Hollande, was late and he attended later events in the Parliament and others. *The President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, attended the events on June 3 and the next day he was represented by his Foreign Minister. Additionally, most events were also attended by the Card. Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, whose position is similiar to that of Prime Minister.

Summing up the distinguished foreign visitors count, 18 heads of state (one king, one grand duke, and 16 presidents) and one President-elect (not counting the Polish President, who was the host), three spouses of the heads of state (one queen consort, one first lady, not counting the Polish First Lady, and one spouse of a female president), two heads of government (including the Vatican's Secretary of State and not counting the President of the European Commission as well as the Polish PM, of course), two deputy prime ministers, four foreign ministers, one ambassador and a prince of blood royal, i.e. the Earl of Wessex, representing the Queen, attended the 25th anniversary of Freedom celebrations in Poland on June 3 and 4.

The official guests and the President of Poland signed the Warsaw Declaration of Freedom (in fact, it is a manifesto, I think...) following the ceremony at the Royal Castle Square. You can read the English version of the Declaration here- http://www.president.pl/en/news/news/art,639,warsaw-declaration-of-freedom.html

 

[kbk]

Was Edward meant to attend this or was he invited as he was simply in Poland on another matter?

He was there not on his own, but was representing the Queen. The President of Poland, as host of the events, which were given highest profile and international character, invited his counterparts, including QEII. 19 heads of state attended, including the King of Belgium and Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

Unfortunately, there was non-royal, IMO quite poor, representation from other European monarchies, such as Norway and Sweden, who sent their Foreign Ministers. The Netherlands were represented by its former Prime Minister. I don't understand that, they are quite closely connected with Poland, both politically and economically and there are a lot of Poles living in Holland. And Spain did not even send anyone special, giving the job to its Ambassador! Shame on you, La Furia Roja. But maybe it's because of the abdication... :]

 

[kbk]

Some photos from the Royal Castle Square:

Standing from the left: Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, King Philippe, First Lady of Poland, President of the United States, and President of Poland: Znane osobisto?ci w Warszawie - zdj.21 - fakty.interia.pl

The King and Queen of the Belgian are welcomed by the Presidential Couple: Znane osobisto?ci w Warszawie - zdj.22 - fakty.interia.pl

Prince Edward is welcomed by the President and First Lady: Znane osobisto?ci w Warszawie - zdj.2 - fakty.interia.pl

 

[kbk]

The Grand Duke of Luxembourg and the Earl of Wessex as well as some other of the guests, including the President of France, and about seven or eight other presidents wittnessed the Polish President addressing the National Assembly in the Sejm building on Wednesday afternoon.
It was the last part of the official celebrations with all the foreign guests invited. You can read a summary of the President's speech in the Parliament (and 10 photos from the event) here- President of the Republic of Poland / News / News / President in parliament: We must not rest on laurels (the guests, including the Grand Duke and the Earl can be seen on the sixth photo).

 

[kbk]

A funny video showing the distinguished guests, including the President of France, Grand Duke Henri and Prince Edward, actually sleeping while wittnessing the President of Poland's address to the National Assembly on June 4, following the celebrations at the Royal Castle Square. Usypiająca moc prezydenta Komorowskiego? - Wideo dnia