Changing Hats, Not Guards

Wojciech Jaruzelski, the Moscow-trained Polish general who crushed Solidarity as a force for democratic reform in Poland, once wore three hats: premier, defense minister and head of the Communist Party. He shed his defense post two years ago--voluntarily, as far as anyone knows--and last week stepped down as premier. But the general still runs the Communist Party, and that is what counts.

The 62-year-old Jaruzelski’s resignation as premier, and his replacement by Politburo member Zbigniew Messner, was announced during the first session of Poland’s newly “elected” parliament.

The appointment of Messner, an academic economist as well as a party loyalist, indicates that the general is giving high priority to the improvement of living standards. But Polish sources say that Jaruzelski’s major focus will be on efforts to rebuild the strength and the moral authority of the Communist Party, which has been shattered by events of the past five years.

Given the realities of present-day Poland, these are difficult tasks indeed.

In trying to fix what is “broke”--the rigid, authoritarian communist system of economic management--neither the new premier nor Jaruzelski can go beyond what Moscow wants.

The Communist Party will hardly be a source of support for meaningful reform. Most of the so-called liberals in the party--and there were some--were among the 1 million-odd members who quit the party or were expelled in recent years. On balance, the very hard-line elements who are most out of touch with the Polish people have gained in strength within the party.

Even if you give Jaruzelski credit for being a patriot who is doing his best for Poland in a bad situation, the outlook is bleak. By enhancing his identification with the Soviet-dominated Communist Party, which is despised, the general will only add to the number of Poles who consider him part of the problem rather than part of the solution.