Press release, 2 May 2016
Distinguished guests of this solemn event,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me first of all express my appreciation of the beautiful tradition to jointly mark, both in Lithuania and Poland, the anniversary of the Constitution of 3 May 1791 as a historically significant document for both nations. The Constitution, adopted 225 years ago, together with the Mutual Pledge of the Two Nations, endorsed on 20 October of the same year, was a piece of work of the political and legal thought that existed in the Commonwealth of the Two Nations, and we have every reason to take pride in it as Europe’s first and the world’s second oldest written constitution. Therefore, as we jointly commemorate the anniversary of the adoption of this document, we also pay our respect to the authors of the document who represented both of our nations.
The historical significance of the Constitution of 3 May lies in the fact that it crowned the political, legal, social and economic reforms, which had consistently been pursued for nearly thirty years by the last King of the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, Stanisław II August. The procedure of electing kings, which was causing anarchy in the country, was changed, and the state was proclaimed a hereditary monarchy. The liberum veto or the right of the noblemen to protest against the decisions of the Sejm and thereby disrupt its work was abolished. A social reform was carried out, making an attempt, for the first time, to grant townspeople the same rights as those shared by the nobles. The document also suggested that the state provided protection to peasants in their relations with the nobles.
Unfortunately, the Constitution of 1791 was effective for only 14 months. A significant share of the nobles was against any attempts to reform the life of the state. The opponents to reforms were actively supported by the Russian Empire of the time, which was not interested in the strengthening of the Commonwealth of the Two Nations. It even sent its own army to occupy the entire territory of the Lithuanian–Polish Commonwealth. History, as we can see, repeats itself and today’s Russia does not want to allow reforms in Ukraine and tries to prevent it from becoming a country that professes European values.
Yes, the advocates of the Constitution of 1791 were defeated, and the defeat turned into the defeat of the entire Commonwealth. A few years later, the country was finally partitioned by Russia, Austria and Prussia. However, the Constitution was not a mere attempt to reform the country plunging deeper into anarchy. The Constitution contained guidelines on social and public reform, which became a guiding light for the next generations, since all Lithuanian and Polish uprisings against Russia in the 19th century were inspired by the ideas of the Constitution of 3 May. The Constitution opened up a new prospect for the development of the Lithuanian and Polish states, which was fostered for over a century and which brought our nations to the achievements of 16 February and 11 November 1918.
What can we learn from our common past? To answer the question, I would like to share the idea of our historian, Prof Alfredas Bumblauskas, who believes that our ancestors, the authors of the Constitution, have left us an excellent example of an ability to reach a compromise. The adoption of the Constitution shows that even though Lithuania’s rights were not ensured within the Constitution, the majority of Lithuanian representatives tried to reach a compromise, i.e. it was more important to adopt the Constitution and postpone the settlement of mutual disagreements and thereby strengthen the state rather than continue the disputes.
The adoption of the Mutual Pledge of the Two Nations on 20 November 1791 demonstrated that the Polish nation understood the needs of Lithuanians. Hugo Kołłątaj responded to the demands by Kazimierz Sapieha with concessions.
May this ability of our ancestors to reach an agreement be always present in mutual relations between our nations and our states, as well as in our joint endeavours!
