ZwiÃÂ zek Ludowo-Narodowy (ZLN; ) was a Polish political party aligned with the National Democracy political movement during the Second Polish Republic, gathering together right-wing politicians with conservative and nationalist opinions.
Between 1919 and 1926, the Popular National Union achieved considerable electoral success but at no point governed alone. It could only supply individual ministers (e.g. in finance, education or foreign affairs) to successive governments after 1923 in cooperation with the National Democrats and the peasants' party (Chjeno-Piast). In the 1922 presidential elections, the Popular National Union nominated Count Maurycy Zamoyski to counter the centrist Gabriel Narutowicz and the socialist Stanisà Âaw Wojciechowski of the Polish People's Party âÂÂPiastâÂÂ.
After the May 1926 Coup, the Popular National Union gradually lost its influence and power in the wake of internal schisms and conflicts under the rule of its rivals, the Sanation regime. In 1928 the Popular National Union morphed into the National Party (Stronnictwo Narodowe).
The ZLN origins as a political party lay in the postwar Europe of late 1918. In December of that year and shortly before the elections, an alliance arose known as the "National Election Committee of Democratic Parties" (Narodowy Komitet Wyborczy Stronnictw Demokratycznych) composed of the following: National Democracy (Narodowa Demokracja); National Unity (Zjednoczenie Narodowe); the Christian Workers' Party (Chrzeà Âcijaà Âskie Stronnictwo Robotnicze); and the Polish Progressive Party (Polska Partia PostÃÂpowa). During the 1919 elections this alliance obtained 109 seats with most of its representatives hailing from western "Greater Poland)". Wojciech Korfanty became the president of this grouping with Stanisà Âaw Grabski, Konstanty Kowalewski and Józef Teodorowicz as vice-presidents. In February 1919 this alliance morphed into the National Parliamentary Popular Union (Zwiàzek Sejmowy Ludowo-Narodowy).
The ZLN was established in May 1919 at the 1st Congress of the National Popular Union. At the beginning, the ZLN was a federation of political parties, but the summer of 1919 saw the departure of the Christian-National Workers Club (Chrzeà Âcijaà Âsko-Narodowy Klub Robotniczy) from its ranks. This split greatly homogenized the character of the ZLN, a change evident by its second congress conference in October 1919.
In January 1919, a group of National Democrats attempted a coup dâÂÂétat to bring down the leftist government of JÃÂdrzej Moraczewski. The ZLN's Marian Januszajtis-à »egota and Eustachy Sapieha participated in this unsuccessful attempt.
On 16 January 1919, a non-aligned government arose with the cooperation of ZLN members Wà Âadysà Âaw Seyda as Minister of the âÂÂPrussianâ District, Józef Englich in finance, and Reverend Antoni Stychel as Deputy Speaker of Parliament. When the situation at the front of the Polish-Soviet War became critical in spring 1920, the ZLN were prominent in their vocal criticism of Pià Âsudski and soon inspired the creation of the Council of National Defense (Rada Obrony Paà Âstwa) with Roman Dmowski (the de facto intellectual leader of the National Democrats).
At the time, the ZLN's political manifesto could be summarized in a few points:
The National Democrats held a very strong position in western Poland (Wielkopolska), but considerably less so in Congress Poland (Kongresówka), which included the capital of Warsaw. Hence in January 1919, they reached a compromised with Pià Âsudski, and when in summer 1920 the government of Wincenty Witos came into being, it obtained the full support of the ZLN.
From the second half of 1921 and into 1922, the ZLN opposed the Chief of State as well as the centrist political parties. Before the elections in 1922, the rightist Christian National Union (Chrzeà Âcijaà Âski Zwiàzek Jednoà Âci Narodowej) included the Popular-National Union, the National Workers Party (Narodowe Stronnictwo Robotnicze), the Polish Christian-Democratic Party (Polskie Stronnictwo Chrzeà Âcijaà Âskiej Demokracji) and the National Christian Peasant Party (Narodowo-Chrzeà Âcijaà Âskie Stronnictwo Ludowe). It won 98 seats (22%) in the Sejm (Polish Parliament) and 29 seats (26%) in the Senate.
Later that same year, a nominee of the National Democrats, Maurycy Zamoyski, was defeated by Gabriel Narutowicz in a runoff fifth round of voting in parliament. Narutowicz would be assassinated a few days after his election by a fanatical ultra-nationalist painter, Eligiusz Niewiadomski.
On 17 May 1923, the Lanckorona Pact saw representatives of the ZLN, the Christian-National Labour Party (Chrzeà Âcijaà Âsko-Narodowe Stronnictwo Pracy), and PSL âÂÂPiastâ (that is, some right-wing and centrist parties) agreeing to a broad set of philosophical and operational principals, including Polish social policy towards the Eastern (and therefore minority-heavy) borderlands, the assignment of governmental portfolios exclusively to Poles, and joint policies against the political left. The effect of this agreement was the so-called Chjeno-Piast government created on 28 May 1923. It was headed by Witos on the ZLN's behalf. This ministry also included Stanisà Âaw Gà Âàbià Âski, Marian Seyda and Wojciech Korfanty.
ZLN foreign policy was pro-French and anti-German. In the East, ideas were presented for the full incorporation of Western Ukraine, Western Belarus, and the Wilno region into Poland. From the ZLN's point of view non-Poles in the Republic were considered second-class citizens up to the moment they underwent linguistic and cultural assimilation.
Support for the ZLN was comprised in the main by:
Geographic centers of National Democracy included:
On 26 October 1924, the fourth ZLN Congress proposed a program on the future development of the party, which led to a marked increase in the discipline within the party apparatus. A "Supreme Council" (Rada Naczelna) with Stanisà Âaw Gà Âàbià Âski as president and a Board of Directors (Zarzàd Gà Âówny) numbering 30 emerged from the reorganization. Workmen and country departments were created in order to increase membership. Communists were to be banned from holding elected office once the ZLN gained power.
From November 1923, Prime Minister Grabski tried to come to a political understanding with representatives of national minorities in Poland; this created conflicts within the government. On 13 November 1925, the Grabski government collapsed and was replaced by the administration of Aleksander Skrzyà Âski with representatives of the ZLN, the Christian Democrats (Chrzreà Âcijaà Âska Demokracja), the National Workers Party (Narodowa Partia Robotnicza), the PSL âÂÂPiastâÂÂ, and the Polish Socialist Party (Polska Partia Socjalistyczna). Jerzy Zdziechowski in Finance and Stanisà Âaw Grabski as the Minister of Religion and Education represented the ZLN in this government.
In 1925, the ZLN declared that only Poles who are Christians and who accept the party's program, statute, regulations, and resolutions can become members. On 10 May 1926, the third Witos government was created, in which Zdziechowski and Grabski again took part. This government would be overthrown by Józef Pià Âsudski's May Coup. From 1926, in response and in opposition to Pià Âsudski's political movement, a "Union of Polish Nationalists" was postulated. However, some within the movement were becoming more and more radical, influenced by the European fascist movement. On 4 December 1926, the Camp of Great Poland (Obóz Wielkiej Polski) appeared. Its foundersâ intention was to take the place of the ZLN. On 7 October 1928, the ZLN dissolved itself in the wake of repressions from the Sanacja regime and was replaced by the National Party (Stronnictwo Narodowe).
The regional structure of the party consisted of:
The most important party institution was the Supreme Council (Rada Naczelna). During the second meeting it was stated that it consists of all ZLN representatives, 100 members chosen by Congress, and one delegate from each district. Later, the membership was slightly changed: 60 members were chosen by Congress and 3 delegates from each district. The Supreme Council chose the Board of Directors, a governing board consisting of 5 members, which nominates the president.
Newspapers that presented similar values as the ZLN were Gazeta Warszawska (Warsaw Gazette), Przeglàd Narodowy, Gazeta Poranna, Myà Âl Narodowa, and Sà Âowo Polskie.