Polish Economic Management 1970–81

Abstract

It should be admitted at the outset that well-considered and ably executed management of economic processes in Poland has, over recent years, been remarkably difficult to detect. In fact, many people believe that the Polish economy has been drifting aimlessly ever since the fateful moment in late 1972 when the now discredited leadership of the day took the decision to launch a consumption and investment boom of gigantic proportions. Thus this supposedly centrally-planned economy has been accused of having been subject to little effective overall guidance or direction for almost ten years.

My thanks are due to Christopher Saunders for taking on the burdensome task in 1974 of directing my research on the Polish economy. Without his help and encouragement it would never have matured so quickly into a D.Phil. thesis. He is, of course, in no way responsible for errors of judgement in the present paper.