Shaping Industry from the Left. Country Report: Poland

Konat, Grzegorz

Shaping Industry from the Left. Country Report: Poland

Abstract

Between 1989 and 2015, the Polish economy underwent many major changes. The essential, of course, was a systemic transition from socialism to capitalism. This transformation process lasted for many years and revealed its consequences at varied strengths over different periods. Another crucial factor in shaping the modern economic order in Poland was the accession to the European Union in 2004. The global economic crisis of 2008 was also significant in this respect. All the aforementioned, along with some specifically Polish circumstances, create a dynamic picture of the Polish economy in the last quarter of a century. The changes that took place in this period apply to virtually all areas of social and economic life: the structure of the economy, national income distribution, politics, the labour market, demography, the social security system, and finance. This report is an attempt to discuss the changes that have occurred in Poland in all these areas in the last 25 years. Its aim is to contribute to the discussion on progressive European industrial policy.