The Centre Agreement (Polish: Porozumienie Centrum, PC) was a Christian-democratic political party in Poland. It was established in 1990 and had its roots in the Solidarity trade union and its political arm, the Solidarity Citizens' Committee. Its main leader was Jarosław Kaczyński.^[1][2][3][4]

In its programme, the PC opposed socialism and was strongly anti-communist.

History

In the 1991 parliamentary election the PC was part of the Centre Civic Alliance, which obtained 8.7% of the vote. Subsequently, it joined the government led by Jan Krzysztof Bielecki of the Liberal Democratic Congress and, in December 1991, PC's Jan Olszewski formed a government that lasted until 1992. In the 1993 parliamentary election the PC was reduced to 4.4% and failed to elect any MPs.

In 1996 the PC joined the Solidarity Electoral Action coalition, which won the 1997 parliamentary election with 33.8% of the vote. However, shortly before the election PC leader Jarosław Kaczyński left the coalition and in the election he was elected from the slate of the Movement for Reconstruction of Poland. In 1998 PC MPs joined forces with the Party of Christian Democrats, within the parliamentary group of Solidarity Electoral Action. In 1999 the PC was thus merged with the Party of Christian Democrats and the Movement for the Republic into the Polish Christian Democratic Agreement. However, in 2001 Jarosław Kaczyński and Lech Kaczyński launched Law and Justice, which would become the country's largest party.

Electoral results

Sejm

Election year	# of votes	% of vote	# of overall seats won	+/–
1991	977,344	8.7	44 / 460	44
As part of the Centre Civic Alliance coalition.
1993	609,973	4.4	0 / 460	44
1997	4,427,373	33.8	14 / 460	14
As part of the Solidarity Electoral Action coalition, which won 201 seats.

Senate

Election year	# of overall seats won	+/–
1991	9 / 100
1993	1 / 100	8
1997	3 / 100	2
As part of the Solidarity Electoral Action coalition, which won 51 seats.

References