“No, My Friends, We Won’t Go Slow”. The Restoration of Lithuania’s Independence in the Pages of the World Press in 1990

Adam Michnik

Joy – this is the first emotion to overcome one after the declaration by the Lithuanian Parliament. Sąjūdis, the Lithuanian national revival movement, has achieved its main goal. Parliamentary elections have been won. Lithuania’s Parliament has declared independence.
None of us yet know what this means in practice. However, we do know that we Poles have a special responsibility. Longstanding Polish-Lithuanian relations oblige us to be particularly sensitive to the aspirations of the Lithuanian people.

About the author:

Adam Michnik is a former Polish dissident, a recipient of Lithuania‘s Freedom Prize  in 2014 (in Lithuanian).

An article “Laudatio Adamui Michnikui” (Praise to Adam Michnik) by Tomas Venclova (in Lithuanian)

“Independence for Lithuania”

The national anthem, beginning with the words “Lithuania, our homeland... ”, sung at Sąjūdis‘ rallies, has once again become the anthem of the Lithuanian nation after 50 years. Members of the new Lithuanian Parliament, who gathered at the inaugural session on Saturday evening, sang this anthem when the chairman announced the opening of the Supreme Council’s first session.

“Lithuania declared its independence”

The first foreign guest to be given the floor by prof. Landsbergis was Senator Tadeusz Kłopotowski, who arrived at the session from Warsaw with Henryk Wujec, a member of the Polish Parliament. Senator Kłopotowski, addressing the audience on behalf of the Citizens' Parliamentary Club, conveyed greetings to the people of Lithuania and words of support and admiration for “all parliamentarians, regardless of their political views or national origin.”