Emerging Capitalism in Poland: Challenges and Dilemmas

Abstract

This statement provides an account of an eventful period in the recent history of Polish social dialogue (2001-2005). The author shares his experiences and reflections from the time when he served as the Minister of Labour and the Deputy Prime Minister, as well as the head of the Tripartite Commission for Social and Economic Affairs. The statement heavily relies on the author's book 'Loops of development' (Pętle rozwoju) published in 2007. The author argues that while structural reforms are inevitable in societies in transition, such as Polish, they should be introduced with caution. The role of public institutions and their viability is also stressed out. As the author claims, social dialogue, albeit of undeniable value, is prone to serious deficiencies, especially, if it retains a specific corporatist profile (that is, supporting special interest groups), which was the case in Poland in the early 2000s.