ip ▁and ▁modern ize ▁Polish ▁industry , ▁and ▁to ▁import ▁consumer ▁goods ▁to ▁give ▁the ▁workers ▁some ▁in cent ive ▁to ▁work . ▁While ▁it ▁boost ed ▁the ▁Polish ▁economy , ▁and ▁is ▁still ▁remembered ▁as ▁the ▁" G old en ▁Age " ▁of ▁social ist ▁Poland , ▁it ▁left ▁the ▁country ▁vulner able ▁to ▁global ▁economic ▁fl uct u ations ▁and ▁western ▁und erm ining , ▁and ▁the ▁re per cuss ions ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁massive ▁deb t ▁is ▁still ▁felt ▁in ▁Poland ▁even ▁today . ▁This ▁Golden ▁Age ▁came ▁to ▁an ▁end ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁energy ▁crisis . ▁The ▁failure ▁of ▁the ▁Gi erek ▁government , ▁both ▁econom ically ▁and ▁polit ically , ▁soon ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁opposition ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁trade ▁un ions , ▁student ▁groups , ▁c land est ine ▁newsp apers ▁and ▁publish ers , ▁imported ▁books ▁and ▁newsp apers , ▁and ▁even ▁a ▁" f lying ▁university ." ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 6 ▁October ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁the ▁Arch bishop ▁of ▁Krak ów , ▁Card inal ▁Kar ol ▁Woj ty ła , ▁was ▁elected ▁Pope , ▁taking ▁the ▁name ▁John ▁Paul ▁II . ▁The ▁election ▁of ▁a ▁Polish ▁Pope ▁had ▁an ▁elect r ifying ▁effect ▁on ▁what ▁had ▁been , ▁even ▁under ▁Commun ist ▁rule , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁dev out ly ▁Catholic ▁nations ▁in ▁Europe . ▁Gi erek ▁is ▁alleg ed ▁to ▁have ▁said ▁to ▁his ▁cabinet , ▁" O ▁God , ▁what ▁are