The paper provides a tentative account of some key aspects of the state’s role in social policy implementation in Poland during post-socialist transition. It starts with historical arguments proving that ability of the structures of the state to diagnose social contradictions, manage and solve social conflicts, together with an objective necessity which forced the state to take over the partial responsibility for security and social progress, has caused the contemporary state to become the leading agent of social politics. State activities in the area of social policy widen the sphere of social security, which is the sine qua non of democracy. The paper presents contradictions and dilemmas in the development of the Polish society and identifies the most urgent social problems and the implications for the state’s role in the post-socialist transition. Its final conclusion is that the state cannot wilfully evade responsibility for social development in the weaker areas of social life, because such a policy would ignore emergent conflicts and thus threaten the goals of transition - economic and political rebuilding