1995 Reports

Poland: Transition and Integration in the World Economy

Wellisz, Stanislaw H.

"The East-Central European communist regimes that came into
power at the close of World War II sought to eradicate the market
mechanism and to insulate their countries from the capitalist West.
Poland was no exception: most of its exports were directed to, and
most of its imports were obtained from other COMECON members, in
particular from the Soviet Union. Gradually, however, the
leadership of PZPR, the Polish United Workers' (communist) party
realized that the command system and isolation from the world
spelled stagnation. Sporadic attempts at reform were made as early
as 1956, but the system remained virtually unchanged for the next
twenty five years."