'THE PATRIOTIC MOVEMENT FOR NATIONAL REBIRTH' - NEW TRANSMISSION BELT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE NATIONALIST ATTEMPT TO LEGITIMISE THE REGIME IN THE EARLY 80S (PRON - nowy pas transmisyjny. Przyczynek do nacjonalistycznej proby legitymizacji ustroju w pocz

Sadly, the Patriotic Movement for National Rebirth (PRON) still lacks a historian. This interesting concept should be considered as the desperate attempt of an authoritarian regime to gain social legitimacy. Contrary to popular opinion, PRON did not merely copy the kind of 'national front' formula known from the National Unity Front (FJN), but also included new concepts. First of all, PRON was to change the existing functioning of democratic centralism: instead of the concept of transmitting the will of the Party to the masses, it was supposed to introduce bilateral transmission. It is worth noting that the regime adopted these proposals in 1982, when the law and order of the country was temporarily secure. The Communists were aware that the only formula likely to win wider support had to be new and authentic. Even more striking, though, is that they opted for changes that actually had a very limited scope. Patriotic phraseology, supported by very limited systemic changes led to disaster: People expected a lot more than the authorities were prepared to offer.