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Poland's New Capitalism
Poland was central to the historic changes that took place across Eastern Europe at the end of the Cold War. It is the largest economy in the region, and was at the forefront of opposition to communism, with the rise of Solidarity in the 1980s. This book explores the way that neoliberal policies have formed the basis of transformation, championed by both post-communist and post-Solidarity governments.
Jane Hardy provides a rigorous assessment of the impact of these policies on everyday lives and Poland's place in the European and global economy. These are firmly set in the context of the complex and dynamic political economy of the country. The role of capital in the form of transnational corporations and foreign direct investment is central to the analysis. The revival of trade unions and growth of new social movements are explored as they challenge Poland's new capitalism.
No other book studies Poland's recent history in such depth. This book will be a key text for students of political economy, international relations, social movements and labour studies.
Jane Hardy provides a rigorous assessment of the impact of these policies on everyday lives and Poland's place in the European and global economy. These are firmly set in the context of the complex and dynamic political economy of the country. The role of capital in the form of transnational corporations and foreign direct investment is central to the analysis. The revival of trade unions and growth of new social movements are explored as they challenge Poland's new capitalism.
No other book studies Poland's recent history in such depth. This book will be a key text for students of political economy, international relations, social movements and labour studies.
- GenresPoland
272 pages, Paperback
First published November 28, 2008
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November 6, 2024
I'm leaving this review a couple months after finishing the book so my memory is hazy on details. I found it a very good overview of the period of capitalist reconstruction from 1990 up to the period of the 2007-8 global financial crisis. The tables showing the historical trends are easy to refer back to. The detailed breakdown of US 'aid' to Poland was very interesting: in addition to direct US ownership of Polish interests, the US also advised on local government reform to entrench a right-wing trend and encourage privatisation. Polish trade union leaders were sent on expenses-paid junkets to the US, guests of the AFL-CIO. Furthermore, US business consulting firms helped the restructuring and breaking up of Polish businesses. Yet at the same time, the US and the EU upheld protectionist trade policies, preventing Poland from taking best advantage of its integration into the world market.
One thing I wanted to understand from reading this book is how joining the EU affected Poland. Unfortunately, there isn’t much hard data given for the more recent years that the book covers, but it’s safe to assume the same trends from the 1990s continued - since many of the economic policies implemented at that time were in line with the “Copenhagen criteria”, which were laid down in 1993 to formally define EU membership eligibility. The main immediate impact of membership seems to have been to trigger mass emigration, which meant the employment rate increased, and employed workers left behind generally had greater bargaining power in the workplace.
In addition to the economic information there are some descriptions of what the restructuring looked like from the shop floor, and how the organised workers movements changed during this period. That’s a complicated subject but I think the book did a good job of weaving it into the overall picture.
One thing I wanted to understand from reading this book is how joining the EU affected Poland. Unfortunately, there isn’t much hard data given for the more recent years that the book covers, but it’s safe to assume the same trends from the 1990s continued - since many of the economic policies implemented at that time were in line with the “Copenhagen criteria”, which were laid down in 1993 to formally define EU membership eligibility. The main immediate impact of membership seems to have been to trigger mass emigration, which meant the employment rate increased, and employed workers left behind generally had greater bargaining power in the workplace.
In addition to the economic information there are some descriptions of what the restructuring looked like from the shop floor, and how the organised workers movements changed during this period. That’s a complicated subject but I think the book did a good job of weaving it into the overall picture.
Displaying 1 of 1 review