SPRAWIEDLIWOŚĆ SPOŁECZNA W IDEOLOGII PZPR I JEJ NASTĘPCÓW
SOCIAL JUSTICE IN IDEOLOGY OF POLISH UNITED WORKER’S PARTY (PZPR) AND HER SUCCESSORS

Summary/Abstract: The doctrine of real socialism and program of Polish United Worker’s Party (PZPR) had placed social justice as one of the fundamental aim. The meaning of social justice was strongly related to egalitarianism. Equality was going to be achieved by eliminating former elites and social stratification. However, within the society new divisions, stratifications and elites were shaped. Some of them, like „leading workers” or „leading” artists were in official respect. Others were granted with secret privileges, like establishment’s exclusive access to famous in the 50s well – supplied shops „behind the yellow curtains”. In the economy of never-ending imbalance and scarcity important role was played by non-salary related privileges: connections, informal agreements and contracts. In order to buy some desirable goods it was necessary either to know people with distributing power, either to pay with hardly accessible foreign exchangeable currency. This resulted with frustration and sense of injustice even if work and payment was guaranteed. The situation was changed with transformation. Nowadays it is work recognized as important among the most desired goods. Although the successors of Polish United Worker’s Party – Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland and the Democratic Left Alliance won elections in 1997 and 2001 thanks to proclaiming the idea of social justice, practical realization of this idea was not a priority in their politics. Attention was rather paid on economic effects, creation of friendly economic environment and integration with European and non-European structures as ways leading to increase the standard of life. Although some achievements were gained in that filed, citizens’ judgment in 2005 elections was negative.

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