Leszek BalcerowiczEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

This week, Notes from Poland editor-at-large Stanley Bill talks with Poland’s former finance minister, and key author of post-1989 free market reforms, Leszek Balcerowicz, about Poland's economy and politics under the current government in the shadow of coronavirus. They discuss PiS's social spending programs and economic policy, its handling of the epidemic, rule of law, and the opposition’s best strategies for electoral success. Also check out our previous interview on rule of law with Poland's deputy foreign minister . Producer: Sebastian Leśniewski Support the show

Poland was recently the poster child of success among post-Communist countries of the former Soviet bloc. In a region rife with corruption and murky ties with Russia, Poland had very little of either and its economy was essentially unaffected by the global financial crisis of 2008. But with the rise of the right-wing populist wave sweeping Europe, Poland's election of the Law and Justice Party in 2015 has thrown into question the country's previous commitment to open society and the rule of law. That may seem baffling: immigration is negligible and GDP per person has nearly tripled since 1990. Joining the podcast to discuss the seeming paradox is Leszek Balcerowicz, the former finance minister who was the main architect of Poland's so-called "shock therapy" in the 1990s.