National Holiday

The May 3rd Constitution
May 3rd is a national holiday in Poland. In the 18th century Poland was on the brink of disaster and anarchy. It needed reforms. Polish patriots attempted to bring political stability to their country. The May 3rd, 1791 Constitution was the first modern constitution in Europe and second in the world, after the Constitution of the United States. It established three independent branches of government - executive, legislative and judiciary and abolished the liberum veto. It influenced later democratic movements. The adoption of the May 3rd Constitution provoked the active hostility of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth neighbours and some Polish magnates. Thus Russia, Prussia and Austria decided to wipe out "the Polish cancer of freedom" from the face of the earth. Although Poland as a state disappeared from a map of Europe for more than a hundred years, the spirit of the Constitution did not die. We honor the Polish Constitution of 1791 because it is a symbol of the Polish people and their struggle for liberty, justice and honor.