The May 3 Constitution is a “revolutionary document that established the state system in a new way on the scale of Europe and the world at the time,” Polish President Andrzej Duda said during the main celebrations of the 232 anniversary of the May 3 Constitution, at Castle Square in Warsaw on Wednesday.

He further stated that the modern character of the May 3 Constitution was one of the reasons why it lasted only a year before Poland’s enemies rushed in to destroy Poland.

“They were afraid that Poland, which would be rebuilt in such a way, would empower itself anew, would reshape these relations, would be a strong state again, which, by the power of the nations then forming it, would once again occupy its rightful place in the center of Europe, at its heart, acting as a dam to the greedy lust from the east and the drive to the east from the west,” he emphasized.

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— Kancelaria Prezydenta (@prezydentpl) May 3, 2023

“I believe that Poland will persist – here in Europe – free, sovereign and independent, as our great-grandparents and grandparents fought for so many years since the enactment of the May 3 Constitution,” President Andrzej Duda added.

Fighting for sovereign state

The Polish head of state also thanked all those who fought for a free Poland throughout the years. “I would like to thank from this place all those who over the years strived to strengthen Poland,” Duda said.

The president also thanked those who worked to make Poland as safe, as strong, and as prosperous as possible.

Poland celebrates 232nd anniversary of the Constitution of May 3

232 years ago, on May 3, 1791, the “Four-Year Sejm” (parliament meeting in the years 1788–92) of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, adopted the…

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“I thank those who reformed Poland, changed Poland, removing the layers of what was left after years of enslavement, dependence, from the great nightmare from the East, from the Soviet Union, from Russian mir,” he added.

An example of a union

The May 3 Constitution is an example of the unique togetherness of the two nations, Poland and Lithuania, and a common contribution to the history of Europe and the world, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda wrote in a commemorative letter addressed to President Andrzej Duda and the Polish nation on the occasion of the May 3 Constitution.

Conveying “sincere respect and warmest wishes”, the Lithuanian president expressed satisfaction “with the strong friendship and cooperation between the two countries, both bilaterally and multilaterally,” and stressed that “Poland is a reliable ally and an important partner of Lithuania.”

In Lithuania, May 3 Constitution Day is counted as a “commemorated day,” but it is not a holiday. For several years, commemorative ceremonies have been organized jointly with the Polish side.