"Also a great part of Polish industry proved to have existed only to support the Soviet military industry, and it became superfluous and incapable of being transformed into anything else. We did not foresee that or the magnitude of these phenomena"

The statement reflects on a critical economic and historical realization faced by post-communist Poland. For decades under Soviet influence, much of Polish industry was deeply integrated into the Soviet economic and military framework, functioning as a cog in the machinery supporting the larger USSR defense apparatus. Factories in Poland produced components, vehicles, machinery, and raw materials primarily consumed by the Soviet military or its supply chain, rather than servicing local Polish needs or global markets. This alignment meant that the purpose, output, and structure of these industries were dictated not by market demand or local innovation, but by central directives aligning with Soviet strategic considerations.

With the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the subsequent political and economic transformation of Eastern Europe, these industries found their raison d’être abruptly removed. Without the vast Soviet market and the specific demands of its military sector, much of Poland’s industrial base became obsolete. The factories, technologies, and the organizational expertise tailored to Soviet standards could not be easily repurposed for the demands of a market economy or Western export standards. They were "incapable of being transformed into anything else", highlighting how narrowly specialized and inflexible they were by design.

Wajda’s observation captures the sense of unpreparedness among Polish reformers and society at large. The scale and depth of the challenges, industrial collapse, mass unemployment, and the need for rapid economic restructuring, took many by surprise. There had been expectations of a difficult transition, but the realization that entire sectors would become "superfluous" was beyond initial anticipation. This reflects a broader lesson about centralized, closed economic systems: the risks and vulnerabilities inherent in structuring economic life around non-market, isolated, and politically dictated needs. The experience forced Poland to confront the magnitude of systemic change necessary to build a sustainable, independent economy able to compete in the global arena.