existed between LOUISIOIS the two bodies and there are now plans to establish Talle diplomatic relations between Vatican for the first time since the war.
This official picture of is not entirely a bluff. Opposition sources acknowledge that the government has been able to restore its effective authority.
An opposition assessment of the political situar tion published December by the Parisbased Solidarity Information bulletin said: 'Once a minority has successfully breached the allegedly impenetrable detences of the August 1980 all mense human stream flows into the gap, tearing down the banks even further; once, however the defences are repaired, the river resumes its lazy and apathetic course, waters go where the engineers want them to go. 1980 as before August writer last year's Day which 'were in fact attended by several million people', not only officials but also number of ordinary people wno normally grumore lo their hearts' content, criticise and ridicule the authorities'.
'Now, the situation has been reversed. The authorities pretend that the doesn't exist, while in reality having to take it into account before taking any important step.
•By lifting martial law situation as "normalised"
Ists, the authorities have signaled their reconcila. tion to the fact of our existence.' Conflict Bujak's assessment is based on the continuing numoes are oradusauol of the resistance. In addiLIOn LO LIC hundred or so people in hiding — who include the main leaders of the movement — there are SUlliC thousands of ber. manently active members (some say tens of thousands of them.
Beyond these, a much wider layer of people continue to pay dues to Solidarity or take its newspapers regularly. Bujak claims million or more. @thers put the figure in hundreds of thousands. These supporters are especially concentrated in the main industrial centres and large enterprises.
Just as important has been the change of perspective the activists. They no longer expect a showdown with the state right now. They tend their strength with what happened before Solidarity, and feel much stronger in that time scale. They have to concentrate less on general propaganda against the regime and deal more with bread and butter issues.
This has strengthened the movement's unity by concell allnig less divisive issues than general ideologv and programme. The sinews of leadership from the TKK - the national committee downwards have been strengthened. Unity The government is trying to convince the workers that they can use official institutions practical purposes. It is allowing the VOCC criticisms, uses wide consultation on price increases ana lets the new polfront organisation PRON make demands for changes in policy.
The authoritie hoping that such flexibility, along _CO-