EU festivities face Polish wrath

This video clip, released by the EU to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the iron curtain, has prompted a furious response from Poland.

Why the fury? Poles say they are under-represented in the clip's depiction of the fall of communism. And they've also picked up on a big boo-boo - the supposed footage of demonstrations against the martial law in 1981 is in fact an extract taken from a documentary filmed in 1993.   

In response to the outcry Brussels has promised to replace the shot in question and release a more Pole-pleasing version as soon as possible. One of our Polish Observers takes a look at the seemingly outraging video.

The ammended version

The new version was posted by the EU on 20 May 2009.

"Poland is not well represented in the images"

Marcin Smietana is a translator from Krakow.

I accept that there are certain artistic allowances involved in creating such a product, so I can see why here the collapse of the Berlin Wall is represented as the symbol of dismantling the whole system and the fall of the iron curtain.

The main criticism from the Polish side however is that the only (correct) images of Poland are of Gen. Jaruzelski [hard-fisted leader of the 80s], whereas with the other countries the essence of the emotionality of liberating people is illustrated, which is important.

It's good that the video shows events like the Hungarian revolution of 1956 and Prague Spring 1968; events which happened way before 1989, but were essential parts of the same process. However, that same historical perspective is left entirely incomplete without certain elements from our country like the Polish Solidarity movement [Lech Walesa's union movement], the Roundtable talks and the 4 June 1989 elections - events without which the final consequence would simply be impossible."

The original video, now removed by the EU

Originally posted on the EU’s YouTube channel; the video has since been removed.