The Political Economy of Reform in Post-communist Poland (Economies and Societies in Transition series)

Ten years after the collapse of communism in Poland, the debate continues over the impact of the transition to a market economy. Whilst few actually say that the socialist system could - or should - have been preserved, the path of change has been far from smooth, and has produced both winners and losers in the race to reform. This text assesses the prevailing attitudes of both support and disenchantment among Poles towards transition, in the light of their own experiences. In particular Janice Bell uses statistical indicators on economic well-being, regional voting results and public opinion survey data to analyze the socio-economic influences on patterns of voting behaviour, and finds unemployment to be a crucial denominator.