t , ▁which ▁would ▁reach ▁US $ 2 3 ▁billion ▁by ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁Poland ▁not ified ▁Club ▁de ▁Paris ▁( a ▁group ▁of ▁Western - Europe an ▁central ▁banks ) ▁about ▁its ▁ins ol ven cy ▁and ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁negoti ations ▁of ▁rep ay ing ▁its ▁foreign ▁deb t ▁were ▁completed ▁between ▁ 1 9 8 9 – 1 9 9 1 . ▁ ▁The ▁party ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁raise ▁prices , ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁further ▁large - scale ▁social ▁un rest ▁and ▁formation ▁of ▁the ▁Sol id ar ity ▁movement . ▁During ▁the ▁Sol id ar ity ▁years ▁and ▁the ▁im position ▁of ▁mart ial ▁law , ▁Poland ▁entered ▁a ▁de cade ▁of ▁economic ▁crisis , ▁officially ▁acknowled ged ▁as ▁such ▁even ▁by ▁the ▁regime . ▁R ation ing ▁and ▁que uing ▁became ▁a ▁way ▁of ▁life , ▁with ▁r ation ▁cards ▁( K art ki ) ▁necessary ▁to ▁buy ▁even ▁such ▁basic ▁consumer ▁st ap les ▁as ▁milk ▁and ▁sugar . ▁Access ▁to ▁Western ▁lux ury ▁goods ▁became ▁even ▁more ▁restricted , ▁as ▁Western ▁govern ments ▁applied ▁economic ▁san ctions ▁to ▁express ▁their ▁diss atisf action ▁with ▁the ▁government ▁repr ession ▁of ▁the ▁opposition , ▁while ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁the ▁government ▁had ▁to ▁use ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁foreign ▁currency ▁it ▁could ▁obtain ▁to ▁pay ▁the ▁cr ushing ▁rates ▁on ▁its ▁foreign ▁deb t . ▁ ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁this ▁situation , ▁the ▁government , ▁which ▁controlled ▁all