Solidarity, the anti-shock doctrine

Published on 2 June 2009 at 14:40

Anti-shock therapy is needed to pull us out of the crisis, believes former Solidarity economist Leszek Balcerowicz in an interview with Romanian daily Cotidianul. Twenty years after the first free elections in Poland, the former Minister of Finance and former governor of the Polish central bank believes the recipe adminstered to ensure the transition from a planned economy to a market one at the beginning of the 1990’s should be back on the menu again. "Confidence and solidarity are essential ingredients to counter the shock into which the crisis has plunged us," he argues.

"Shall we sign up to this global Solidarnosc," wonders the free-market liberal daily, which reminds readers that Poland is the only country out of the ten states that joined the union in 2004 which enjoys any economic growth. 0.8% in the first quarter of 2009.

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