Thatcherism: A Case Study

Among the mystified notions that feed Polish politics, Thatcherism holds a particularly important place. In the early 1990s, the Iron Lady and her policies were particularly popular in Poland. Ownership changes, privatization, rejection of communism and its legacy seemed to be taken directly from her program. The episodic prime minister from 1993-94, Hanna Suchocka, was portrayed as her Polish equivalent, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz sought a meeting during her presidential campaign in 1995, and even a Polish Conservative Party was established.

Over the course of a dozen or so years, attitudes towards Thatcher have changed dramatically. The “Iron Lady” has by no means been forgotten, although right-wing politicians speak of her less and less often. Today, after the banking crisis of 2008, neoliberalism, von Hayek (and Thatcher, by the way) and whatever else you can throw at them are blamed by the Polish left for all possible evil in the world. Also for all the “errors and distortions” of the Polish transformation. In this way of thinking, today’s Poland is one big battlefield, the result of the failure of the neoliberal experiment.

Both Polish visions of Thatcherism are equally far from understanding the essence of the phenomenon and – not to say infantile – simply naive. After 1989, Poland did not become a neoliberal (whatever that means) experiment. Nor did any government have the courage and determination to carry out a real “Thatcherite revolution” in our country. This was not just a costume put on, but a real change, based on a specific philosophy and worldview, introduced by a politically stable government over a dozen or so years. Its basic framework is defined by: rejection of Keynesianism, privatization of state-owned enterprises, limitation of the power of trade unions, aversion to monopolies of various kinds, limitation of bureaucracy, introduction of market mechanisms to education and health care, emphasising national sovereignty, especially in the face of integrating Europe and, consequently, emphasising the importance of defence, and finally, lowering taxes. What is more, these changes were introduced by a charismatic leader who was able to convince voters that his aspirations were in line with his views. Moreover, Thatcher, when introducing her reforms, was able to base them on specific values, of which she was unshakably convinced. The "Victorian virtues" so often ridiculed by her opponents: industriousness, resourcefulness, thrift, loyalty, devotion to family, still remained attractive and understandable to the British.

Meanwhile, the changes that took place in Poland after 1989 were accidental, chaotic and purely instrumental. They lacked, as is now clearly visible, a clear political goal. The "Thatcherite" or "neoliberal" revolution did not really take place in Poland. Which does not mean that its implementation is not indispensable in our country. Like Great Britain in the 1960s and 1970s, contemporary Poland is becoming a state dominated by professional politicians, a growing bureaucracy, economic monopolies, rampant unemployment and, in fact, hostile to human enterprise and freedom.

That is why it is worth taking a closer look at the political philosophy and actions of the British Prime Minister, her successes and failures. I hope that this not very extensive book will make it easier. It is not an economic or strictly political science work, nor does it have any academic ambitions. When writing it, I tried not to analyze the actions of the Iron Lady, but to describe them. To point out successes, but also failures. Today, from the perspective of almost a quarter of a century separating us from her resignation as leader of the Conservative Party and the function of Prime Minister, one can attempt a more objective assessment of her rule.

Information about the book

Book sets in Baskerville Original , published by Storm Type Foundry in 2010. This is an electronic version of the fonts cut in the 1750s by John Baskerville.

Size: 120x190 mm

Volume: 164 pages.

Everything printed on Fabriano Tiepolo 130 g cotton paper.

Handcrafted binding in full leather.