Constitution as a Foundation of a Strong State

“If with the baptism of Poland we became a nation, then on 3 May 1791 we became one in the modern sense of the word. The May Constitution was intended to be the foundation of a strong state whose strength comes from a sense of belonging to a community - created not only by language and traditions, but also by shared values and laws. State resistant to division and foreign influence. That is what made it so dangerous for absolutisms,” the Polish prime minister wrote on social media. “To the same values we wish to subordinate our collective life today and tomorrow,” he added.

On the anniversary of the 3 May Constitution, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki took part in celebrations at the Castle Square. During the celebration attended by President Andrzej Duda and government representatives, the preamble to the 3 May Constitution was read out. The participants also sang the national anthem and the song “Witaj Majowa Jutrzenko”. 

232. Anniversary of the Constitution of 3 May

The 3 May Constitution Day commemorates the passing of the Government Act, known as the 3 May Constitution, by the Great Sejm in 1791. It was the first document of its kind in modern Europe and the second one in the world, after the American Constitution.

The 3 May Constitution provided a vision and program for reforming the Polish state. It changed the state system to hereditary monarchy, abolished the liberum veto and limited the privileges of the nobility. An important solution was the introduction of the tri-partition of power into legislative, executive and judicial.

For Poles, the 3 May Constitution became a symbol of modern thinking about the state and responsibility for its fate. It is the document that creates the identity of a sovereign nation.

Poland's first Constitution was adopted 232 years ago at the Royal Castle in Warsaw.