9 8 0 ▁he ▁worked ▁at ▁the ▁Institute ▁of ▁Marx ism - Len in ism . ▁Later ▁he ▁became ▁an ▁econom ics ▁expert ▁in ▁the ▁pro - dem ocracy ▁independent ▁trade ▁union ▁Sol id ar ity ▁( NS Z Z ▁" Sol id ar ność "). ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁and ▁also ▁between ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁Deput y ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁and ▁Fin ance ▁Minister ▁of ▁Poland . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁chairman ▁of ▁Fre edom ▁Union , ▁a ▁cent rist ▁free - market ▁political ▁party . ▁On ▁ 2 2 ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Bank ▁of ▁Poland . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁column ist ▁for ▁W pro st , ▁a ▁Polish ▁news ▁magazine . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 1 ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁the ▁President ▁of ▁Poland , ▁Aleks ander ▁K wa ś n iew ski , ▁awarded ▁L . ▁Bal cer ow icz ▁with ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁the ▁White ▁E agle ▁for ▁his ▁" cont ribution ▁to ▁Poland ' s ▁economic ▁transformation ". ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁member ▁of ▁Gal eria ▁Ch w ały ▁Pol skiej ▁Ek onom ii , ▁a ▁hall ▁of ▁fame ▁for ▁" out standing ▁Polish ▁econom ists ". ▁ ▁Bal cer ow icz ▁is ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Commission