This project has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
(Grant Agreement n. 669194)
During the 1970s, the state apparatus played a central role in day-to-day policymaking. The government gained almost full control over economic policy, effectively marginalising the party machinery, which had been dominant in this field in the previous decade. Pivotal in this power reorganisation was the appointment of Piotr Jaroszewicz as Prime Minister. Having over twenty years of experience in the socialist leadership, Jaroszewicz was the second most influential figure in the party after First Secretary Edward Gierek. His political position in Poland, together with the confidence he enjoyed among the Soviet authorities, secured him a leading role between 1970 and 1980 in designing the country’s overall economic policy. His closest collaborators in the government included two subsequent chairmen of the Planning Commission: Mieczysław Jagielski and Tadeusz Wrzaszczyk.
Due to the declining economic situation, in the second half of the 1970s the government became the object of criticism. However, it maintained its leading role until the end of the decade in spite of an attempt by the new Director of the Economics Department of the party’s Central Committee, Stefan Olszowski, to take economic affairs back in the hands of the party.
Despite the significant overlap between the party and the state apparatus, the latter traditionally gathered more professionals. This trend was accentuated in the 1970s, when many figures previously not pursuing prominent careers in the party acquired ministerial positions. These included Tadeusz Wrzaszczyk, Minister of the Machinery Industry and Jan Kaczmarek, Minister of Science Higher Education and Technology.
The Planning Commission remained the most important institution responsible for economic analysis and policy proposals. Academics linked with the Planning Commission, such as Józef Pajestka and Tadeusz Secomski, gained more influence in the 1970s, often participating in critical decision-making meetings.
Indeed, the state apparatus promoted the role of experts. The newly created Commission for the Modernisation of Economy and State Functioning played a significant role in the early years of the decade by supplementing the work of the Planning Commission with additional expertise. Moreover, each ministry either had a research institution or a department responsible for providing expertise. In the case of the Ministry of Foreign Trade, it was the Foreign Trade Research Institute. For the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this role was played by the Department of Research and Programming. The reports produced by these bodies served as bases for the government’s policymaking.
As such, the state apparatus had a more pragmatic attitude to policymaking than the party. The documents prepared by the state bodies rarely mentioned ideological concerns or the need to cooperate with other socialist regimes. Being responsible for economic policy, the government regularly proposed new investments and measures aimed at facilitating and reinvigorating foreign trade. It was also the principal initiator of foreign loan applications.
While the Prime Minister and his closest collaborators, including the president of the Planning Commission and the vice-prime ministers, had a dominant say in the majority of political choices, the Presidium of the Council of Ministries, which met weekly, regularly produced debates and clashes of interests. New investments funded with Western credits were one of the key points of contention. While the industrial ministries, particularly the Ministry of the Machinery Industry, regularly requested more funds, bodies gathering economic experts objected to these requests. Notably, the Ministry of Finance and the Planning Commission took critical positions against uncontrolled hard currency expenditure, which became a plague, especially in the second half of the decade. Officials in these bodies regularly drew attention to the risks behind the economic strategy.
Moreover, various ministries became sources of pressure on the party and government leadership. The Ministry of Foreign Trade and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were two organisations responsible for Poland’s increasing cooperation with the West. As a consequence, their employees, including diplomats abroad, played essential roles in expanding contacts with Western actors and encouraging the policy of opening up at home. For example, these two ministries and their experts often lobbied for a regulation of the relationship with the European Economic Community (EEC). At the end of the decade, they often openly called for its existence to be recognised.
* This text summarises some of the research findings of PanEur1970s team member Aleksandra Komornicka, which are published as a chapter in PanEur1970s’ academic edited book. For a link to the e-book, please see Poland’s “Overview” webpage of this map.
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Five Year Plan: Główne propozycje, zadania i problemy projektu planu 5-letniego na lata 1971-1975. Plan Podstawowy [Main proposals, tasks and problems of the five year plan for 1971-1975. Basic plan]
AAN, KC PZPR 1354, V/100 | p. 6/10-41/77
The basic five years plan summarising the new economic strategy. - Available only in the archives https://archiwum.msz.gov.pl/ |
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Memo: Notatka w sprawie kredytów na import z krajów kapitalistycznych rozwiniętych w okresie 1972-1975 [Memo on credit for import from the developed capitalist countries 1972-1975]
AAN, KC PZPR 1354, V/100 | p. 150/223-176/246, "O" FIN.I.017-tjn-72, p.1-14 and appendix
Memo encouraging to take advantage of foreign credits and describing credit opportunities on the West.- Available here. |
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Report: Wstępne poglądy strony polskiej w sprawy RWPG i krajami RWPG z EWG
AAN, KC PZPR 1354, V/101 | p. 7/12-11/16; Zał. do RW/098/tjn/72/wych., p.1-4
The Politburo accepted the report on Poland's position towards the EEC. - Available here. |
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Report: Informacja o wstępnym projekcie planu perspektywicznego do 1990 [Draft perspective plan until 1990]
AAN, KC PZPR 1354, V/122 | p. 10/10-134/232
A perspective plan describing the vision of Poland's economic development until 1990. - Available only in the archives https://www.aan.gov.pl |
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Memo: Notatka w sprawie przystąpienia Polski do Międzynarodowego Funduszu Walutowego i Międzynarodowego Banku Odbudowy i Rozwoju (on rejoining the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank)
AAN, KC PZPR 1354, V/141 | p. 26/37-32/42, p. 1-7
Memo recommending to rejoin the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Although the Politburo and the government agreed on applying for the membership in the organisations, the Soviet Union eventually stopped the decision. Available here. |
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Memo: Uzupełniająca informacja w sprawie stosunków Polski z EWG [Suplementary information on Poland's relationship with the EEC]
AAN, KC PZPR 1354, V/92 | p. 498/536-501/539; O-192/J.w./71, p. 1-5
Memo describing Poland's disadvantagous position towards the EEC when compared with other socialist regimes. - Available here. |
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Report: Kierunkowe działania Ministerstwa Spraw Zagranicznych na rok 1971 [Ministry of Foreign Affairs Guidelines for 1971]
AAN, KC PZPR 1354, V/92 | p. 562/615-603/657
The Politburo accepted the guidelines for the Foreign Policy prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Similar reports outlining main foreign policy goals were prepared and accepted every year. - Available only in the archives https://www.aan.gov.pl |
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Memo: W sprawie stosunków Polski z EWG [On Poland's relationship with the EEC]
AAN, KC PZPR 1354, V/92 | p. 503/541-507/545, p.1-5
The Politburo accepted recommendations concerning means of expanding contacts with the EEC. - Available here. |
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Report: Zasady polityki kredytowej w zakresie obrotw płatniczych z zagranicą w latach 1972-1975 [Principles of credit policy 1972-1975]
AAN, KC PZPR 1354, V/93 | p.865/977-880/997, p.1-13 and appendix
Report encouraging to take advantage of foreign credits and describing credit opportunities on the West. - Available here. |
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Report: Koncepcje Rozwoju Gospodarczego Polski w latach 1971-1995 [Concepts of economic development of Poland 1971-1995]
AAN, KC PZPR 1354, XIA/1172 | p. 3-57
Report advocating the policy of accelerated economic growth prepared for Edward Gierek. - Available only in the archives https://www.aan.gov.pl |
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Report: Możliwości i warunki kontynuacji strategii dynamicznego rozwoju Polski w latach 1976-1980 [On the possibility of continuing the strategy of dynamic development of Poland 1977-1980]
AAN, KC PZPR 1354, XIA/486 | p. 1-35
Report proclaiming a critical economic situation and calling for a revision of economic strategy from the early 1970s. - Available here. |
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Report: Zamierzenia w zakresie polityki licencyjnej w latach 1971-1975 na tle dotychczasowych wyników wykorzystania zakupów licencyjnych w krajach kapitalistycznych [Goals concerning licence policy in 1971-1975]
AAN, URM 290, 5.4/20 | p. 194-213
Report establishing a change in licence policy and calling for massive imports of Western technology. - Available only in the archives https://www.aan.gov.pl |
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Minutes from government meeting
AAN, URM 290, 5.4/71 | p.1-164, RM032-4-74
Dispute between Piotr Jaroszewicz and Stefan Jędrychowski. - Available only in the archives https://www.aan.gov.pl |
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Report: Stanowisko Polski wobec projektu porozumienia RWPG-EWG [Polish attitude towards CMEA-EEC agreement]
AMSZ, Dep. IV, 1/83, w.17 | DSiP.og.90/11-77
Report discussing the possible strategies of dealing with the EEC. - Available only in the archives https://archiwum.msz.gov.pl/ |
