Kania, the First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party, vents his frustrations regarding the impossible political landscape of 1980s Poland. He balances the conflicting pressures of the Soviet Union, the United States, the Catholic Church, and his own fractured party while struggling to maintain order amidst rising trade unions.
KANIA: There are people who think that the Party boss can run the operation like a Chicago gangster. They should try sitting in this chair. I've got a Party which is losing members in droves, and half of those who remain have joined a free trade union with 5 million members -
WITNESS: Seven million.
KANIA: Seven million. With the right to strike for more money which I haven't got because industrial production is down 12 per cent owing to the strikes, so I have to go cap in hand to the Soviets who are giving us 690 million dollars in credits to keep Poland Communist.
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