Gathering various pro-communist and pro-government organizations, it was attempted to show unity and support for the government and the Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR).
The idea behind PRON was based on the "transmission belt" concept, which would extend the appeal of the communist regime by building support within Catholic and nationalist circles, which were hitherto marginalized.
It was to have a structure based on trade unions, and divide members along their professions and social group, such as "a steelworker, a farmer, a dancer, a professor".
The signatories, expressing their appreciation for the Citizens' Committees for National Rebirth (Polish: Obywatelski Komitet Odrodzenia Narodowego), which were formed after the introduction of martial law, declared that "the time was ripe to unite these multiple currents in PRON".
Through PRON, the communist government "relied extensively on the rhetoric of nationalism, including old Piłsudskiite and Endek slogans, while also endorsing statism and further diminishing Marxist ideological discourse".
Utilizing Dobraczyński's connection to Catholic and nationalist circles, PRON promoted the concept of “permissible pluralism” within its ranks, and sought to undermine the emerging Solidarity movement by demonstrating good relations with the Polish Catholic Church, along with making highly nationalist appeals.
[8] The organisation sought to further show its staunchly nationalist ideology through the creation of Advisory Council (Polish: Rada Konsultacyjna) in 1986, which included in it radical National Democracy activists such as Maciej Giertych.
[11] The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the PZPR, at the request of General Wojciech Jaruzelski, appealed to party members to actively participate in PRON.
In July 1983, the PRON was written into the constitution of the People's Republic of Poland: "The Patriotic Movement for National Rebirth is a platform for the unification of society for the good of the People's Republic of Poland, as well as for the cooperation of political parties, social organisations and associations and citizens regardless of their worldview - in matters of the functioning and strengthening of the socialist state and the comprehensive development of the country.
On May 8, 1987 The 2nd congress of PRON was held, at which Jaruzelski spoke about the movement writing an important page in the socio-political life of the Polish People's Republic.
This reduced the PZPR to a minority in the chamber and precipitated the appointment of Poland's first non-Communist government since World War II.
PRON membership was required by communist propaganda, and necessary for any organization that wanted to exist on political scene with support of the government.
[3] Polish historian Waldemar Czachur recalls that the Patriotic Movement for National Rebirth ran its campaign with "full military ceremony, with the participation of young people, veterans, representatives of political and social organisations, municipal, city and provincial authorities.
Stressing the nationalist, socialist and also populist character of the party, the coalition used slogans such as: "Won't you cast your vote on Sunday?
This was shown by the fact that the chairman of the PRON was Jan Dobraczyński, a Catholic novelist and longtime associate of Bolesław Piasecki, who was a member of the right-wing National Democracy movement in the interwar era before becoming a Soviet collaborator in the 1940s.
Polish historian Mikołaj Kunicki compared the rhetoric and ideology of PRON as similar to interwar Sanacja regime - "patriotic, authoritarian-militarist, all-embracing, but also extremely vague".