THE CHURCH in Poland last week launched its sharpest attack on the country's government in years, accusing it of blocking talks with Solidarity aimed at national reconciliation.
A statement from the Polish bishops' conference blamed the authorities for the collapse of the 11-week old "round table" initiative involving Solidarity, and condemned the government for three acts which prevented the talks from taking place.
These were: a propaganda campaign by the official media against social freedoms, particularly trade union rights, which did not "create the proper climate for the talks", failure to honour an agreement with the Church in August not to punish striking miners; and the recent decision to shut down the Lenin shipyard in Gdansk, which it described as "a political act which does not support the idea of accord".
Solidarity leader Lech Walesa confirmed that "the round table talks have not the slightest chance of taking place at the moment".