100 posts
Morning Briefing: Polish Economic Data Watched for Slowdown
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The region's first full-year 2011 data is due Friday via a first reading of Poland's gross domestic product.
Poland Signs Copyright Treaty That Drew Protests
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Poland signed an international copyright agreement that has sparked days of protests by Internet users who fear it will lead to online censorship.
Polish Minister Telling Lies to Get ACTA Signed
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Poland will sign ACTA despite massive protests, Global Voices Online reports, citing Polish Minister of Administration and Digitisation Michal Boni. Unfortunately, it appears that the Polish minister does not shy away from telling his citizens blatan...
Tusk Attacks his Base (and then some!)
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Donald Tusk has managed to do something truly amazing. He has riled his own political base and brought them out onto the streets to demonstrate with his opponents. He has managed to cause such social anger over his decision to sign the Anti-Counterfe...
The Polish government stubbornly insists on ACTA
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The Polish government stubbornly insists on ACTA. The Prime Minister has already tasted strong words during the football war, smart drugs war, etc., and he wants to play in a similar style in the case of ACTA. Each day brings a new embarrassment. Tod...
Hackers Hit Polish Government Websites
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Internet hackers attacked a number of Polish public-administration websites, including that of the prime minister, protesting against Poland’s plan to sign up for the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, which they said threatens to introduce onlin...
High Times for Poland’s Parliament
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A Polish libertarian leader tried to smoke a joint at parliament as part of his campaign to legalize soft drugs, but was prevented by the speaker. He burned marijuana incense instead.
Fiscal Pact Divides Europe
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The decision of 26 EU states to agree to a new fiscal pact (read: coordinated austerity) at the last EU summit was met with self-congratulation and new claims of optimism.However, within less than a month all of this has dissipated as it becomes clea...
Plans to Close Hundreds of Schools Met by Protests
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It has been estimated that up to 800 schools will be closed in Poland this year, after 300 were shut down in 2011.The official reason given for the liquidation of schools throughout Poland is the upcoming demographic downturn that will result in a de...
Poland Concedes Defeat in Trying to Get Seat at Euro Table
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In the euro zone’s new fiscal compact, the Polish government has tried to secure seats for non-euro European Union countries at future summits of the euro zone, without voting rights. On Wednesday, Poland’s prime minister conceded that this proba...
Morning Briefing: Polish Central Bank to Leave Rates Steady
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Monetary policy in the region takes center stage Wednesday, with a Polish rate decision expected midday and minutes from Hungary's policy meeting of last week due later in the afternoon.
2011: the year of Polish leadership in the EU
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If last week was the week of Cameron’s walk out, this week has been the week of recriminations, with newspaper column inches full of talk of Nick Clegg involved in spats with Tories and France. While in some way it is good that EU politics is f...
Power Shifts East
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Among the many calls for ‘more Europe’ and greater integration to effectively tackle the problems of the Euro, last Monday's blunt speech in Berlin by Radek Sikorski, Poland's outspoken Foreign Minister, merits perhaps the most attention. If life...
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
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This week’s speech in Germany by the Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, in favour of a Federal Europe, is a significant development in Polish and European politics.With the Eurozone facing the possibility of collapse, Sikorski urged its st...
Poland Backs EU Treaty Changes to Improve Euro-Zone Discipline
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Poland supports a swift change of European Union treaties that would improve fiscal discipline within the euro zone and lead to tighter integration of the bloc, Prime Minister Donald Tusk told a press conference Thursday.
Polish Minister Urges European Federation
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The most urgent task now is to save the euro, and only Germany can do it, Polish Finance Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said.
Crisis? Polish Shoppers Fail to Notice
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The euro zone was shaking, economists talked of how vulnerable central Europe was, Hungary faced an imminent credit rating downgrade---while Polish shoppers ignored it all and increased their spending at double-digit rates in October.
Interview Transcript: Governor of National Bank of Poland
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The National Bank of Poland's interventions to prevent the zloty from weakening rapidly have produced an encouraging result and the central bank is ready to step in again if investors exit the Polish currency in a disorderly fashion, said Marek Belka...
Poland, the new member states and the financial crisis
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I am getting seriously tired of referring to countries that entered the EU in 2004 as the new member states. There has to be a better way.The point of this post, however, is to consider an interview with Lech Walesa on the financial crisis. Desi Anwa...
Poland's new breed of optimists | Remi Adekoya
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A decade of prosperity has left many Poles abandoning national psyche of victimhood and turning liabilities into assetsThere's an old joke about a Polish optimist meeting a Polish pessimist: "Things are so bad, so terribly bad, that they couldn't pos...
No Shale Boom in Europe as First Wells Struggle, Bernstein Says
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Reuters: "The first results from wells in Poland show Europe is unlikely to match the U.S. boom in shale gas, analysts at Bernstein Research said." “Poland has one-tenth the spare water resources available to U.S. shale producers, a more de...
Polish President Urges New Cabinet to Get Ready for Euro Entry
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Poland shouldn't abandon a plan to join the euro zone because it will risk remaining outside the core of European integration, said the country's president, Bronislaw Komorowski.
Barroso’s response
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During the election campaign in Poland four musketeers – Polish Prime Minister Doland Tusk, President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski and Commissioner Janusz Lewandowski – prom...
What changes to expect in post-election Poland
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The importance of recent parliamentary elections in Poland far exceeded its local limitations. No wonder that the EU member-states and outside world carefully and attentively observed the voting process, since the polish people had to determine which...
Poles wave their pink vibrators at the establishment by voting for Movement | Aleksandra Szyllo
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The eccentric Palikot has captured the hearts of Poland's youth by opening debate on sensitive subjects such as a secular stateThere is a picture, drawn by Polish cartoonist Marek Raczkowski: a crowd of people demonstrating in the street, carrying al...
Tusk Bucks the Trend
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The victory of Donald Tusk's Citizens' Platform party (PO), at yesterday's parliamentary elections, is significant for two reasons.Firstly, this is the first time in the country's history (which includes the inter-war period) when a governing party h...
Poland’s elections: Eyes down
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As in 2007 Poland’s parliamentary elections in two weeks are being followed mainly as a battle between the (now incumbent) liberal Civic Platform (PO) and the conservative-national Law and Justice (PiS), which despite modest electoral revival h...
Weaker Zloty to Offset Impact of Euro-Zone Slowdown on Poland
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Poland's industrial output unexpectedly jumped in August as export-driven sectors of the economy posted double-digit manufacturing growth, with the weaker zloty making Polish products more competitively priced on foreign markets.
Poland Takes Centre Stage During Eurozone Crisis Talks
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With Poland currently holding the EU Presidency, it has taken centre stage over the past week as the debt crisis in the eurozone intensifies.During a debate at the EU parliament last Wednesday, the Polish Finance Minister - Jacek Rostowski - claimed...
Leaked cables: Polish foreign minister Sikorski worried about German-Russian axis
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Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski has without doubt worked for strengthening relations with both Russia and Germany lately. However, leaked diplomatic cables published by Wikileaks indicate that German-Russian cooperation also worries...
Germany in Europe: new Europe, new Weimar?
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This week, I was in Warsaw for a conference to celebrate the 20th birthday of the often-neglected Weimar Triangle. The Poles do a lot to place themselves at the centre of Europe’s activities andRead more…...
Polish finance minister scaremongering about war in Europe
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Polish finance minister Jacek Rostowski, representing the rotating EU presidency, has issued the following warning to the members of the European Parliament: "If the eurozone breaks up, the European Union will not be able to survive, with all th...
The Polish Presidency - Growth, Security and Openness
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The Ambassadors of the current Trio Presidency of the Council of the EU - Poland, Denmark and Cyprus - today presented their agreed agenda to the end of 2012 to the Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs. Poland holds the current rotating Presidenc...
The Polish Green Party and the Upcoming Elections
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An interesting interview in English with Bartłomiej Kozek from the Polish Green Party can be found here...
Pensions Debate
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Here you can read a paper on the debate over private pensions in Poland, which I presented at the ESPAnet conference last weekend.
The Travails of the Left
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'There's no one to vote for' is the phrase repeated with depressing regularity when discussing the current elections. So with many fatigued by the two dominant right-wing parties in Poland, does the left have a chance to make a breakthrough at next m...
Daily digest: Polands economy growing faster than expected
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Poland was the only country of the 27 EU countries to avoid recession two years ago, and yesterday they could announce GDP growth on 4,3 % in the second quarter. Bloomberg had on beforehand surveyed 30 economist who guessed 4,2 % growth in an estimat...
Poland Plays Catch-Up, Fast
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The Polish economy is expanding much faster than the euro zone and others in central Europe, allowing Poland to catch up increasingly quickly.
Euro Zone Needs More than Kaffeeklatsch, Poland Says
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Proposals by French and German leaders to improve governance in the euro zone would lead to little beyond meetings over a cup of coffee for euro-zone leaders twice a year, according to a Polish official.
Euro Zone Increasingly Not What Poland Signed Up For
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The latest Franco-German proposals for tighter economic cooperation in the euro zone highlighted that Poland--the largest economy in the European Union's eastern flank--will have to join a different euro zone from the one it originally wanted to join...
Will Poland Intervene to Boost Zloty?
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The Polish zloty's underperformance during the current wave of the euro-zone jitters is again leading to concern that the country's weakening currency may inflate public debt, forcing austerity measures. Economists wonder if the state will intervene...
Poland: a tonic for Europe
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The newly-inaugurated Polish Presidency will act as a tonic for Europe. For two main reasons: first, with its ambitious programme based on pro-European values, Poland is promoting greater EU integration in the interests of growth, especially in the c...
Poland - can its EU presidency make a difference?
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Immense challenges - including the eurozone crisis, rising unemployment in weaker member states and increased concerns about immigration – will be a tough test, writes Dean Carroll...
An optimistic Presidency for Poland
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Starting on July 1st, the presidency of the European Union will be carried out by Poland. Unlike their partners who allow themselves to be taken over by pessimism in times of crisis, the government and the majority of the population are profoundly Eu...
A warm day in Warsaw
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I am back in Warsaw for various activities with the Polish EU Presidency. The weather is hot and stuffy but there is not much time to enjoy the Polish capital. I started the day off by speaking at a conference arranged by the Polish together with UNH...
When Europe most needs a champion, it gets one
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WARSAW — Poland took over the rotating EU presidency last Friday. Despite the presidency’s diminished role under the Lisbon Treaty, both Polish politicians and European leaders have high hopes for Poland’s six-month stint at the helm of the...
Can Poland step up to EU challenges?
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With numerous crises across the EU, the Polish Presidency faces a tough six months ahead but the country’s Prime Minister believes more Europe is the solution. Watch this video.
Poland’s EU Presidency
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Poland took over the presidency of the European Union on 1 July and the last few days have seen a positive feast of commemorative events put on by the Polish Embassy in London. On Wednesday there was a glorious reception in the Victoria and Albert Mu...
Graham's blog Friday 8th July
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Greetings Poland took over the rotating Presidency of the EU on 1 July, replacing Hungary, which means Polish ministers will chair the meetings of the Council of Ministers until the end of the year.Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk made a speech to...
In Warsaw
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2011-07-08 Today the College of Commissioners are meeting with the Polish government in Warsaw. We are having a joint meeting but we will also have bilateral meetings. I will meet with the Minister of Interior Jerzy Miller, whom I know well. He has h...
Poland sober about the Six Pack
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So much for the “six pack,” the sprawling fiscal reform package that was supposed to rein in government debt and prevent a recurrence of the crisis currently threatening the euro. Hungary placed the six pack atop the priority list for …Cont...
A note to our Polish colleagues
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The Polish presidency has just been launched and I know that preparations have been thorough and professional. Nevertheless, be prepared because some things will not go the way you think they will. Some of the experiences of Hungarian presidency may...
The Week in Bloggingportal: Tusk against the EUterus of death
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Because of the many mistakes the spokespeople of the Hungarian Presidency made over the last six months, it looks grim for the European Union. A cult of death has developed around the EUterus, and while the Commission is desperately fighting against...
Polish PM Donald Tusk: New EU visionary?
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The way the (pro-EU) Guardian portrays it, he might well be with his speech as Poland took over the rotating EU presidency* yesterday: Assuming the rotating presidency of the EU for the first time, Donald Tusk rounded on the leaders … Continue...
Here comes Poland: the EU's 'anti-environment' presidency?
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The Hungarian presidency of the EU, which is now drawing to a close, got off to a rough start. Just before taking the reigns of the rotating ministerial presidency, which goes to a different EU country every six months, they passed a media law which...
Polish Central Bank Surprises With Rate Rise
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Poland's central bank Wednesday raised all of its policy rates by 0.25 percentage point amid elevated inflation, surprising market participants, which widely expected the bank to pause its the tightening cycle.
Do you like the Polish Presidency logo?
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I have mixed feelings. Too many colours, but the flag is nice. I’s in fact the flag of Solidarność, the independent trade union that helped bring down communism. But today for Poland, Solidarity means EU money to be spent for new EU members.
Poland unveils its colourful and symbolic logo for upcoming EU presidency
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On the 1st July Poland will assume the rotating six-month presidency of the European Council, and today the logo for its upcoming spell in the hot seat was unveiled.Consisting of six arrow heads directed upwards (perhaps symbolic for growth / progres...
Poland: a country getting to grips with being normal at last
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It still feels apart from 'the west' and is struggling with poverty, but it offers an optimistic example for Egypt and others"Rutinoscorbin is like the sixth member of our family!" an implausibly gleaming model mother chirps from the televi...
Poland’s New Nuclear Ambitions
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Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski arrived in the United States on Monday for a six-day visit including meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday and with Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel B. Poneman and other offic...
Polish Gas Firm Pulls Out Employees from Libya
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Polish state-controlled gas firm PGNiG said Monday it's evacuating all of its employees from Libya due to violent clashes between security forces and protesters in the country.
Protests against Polish-Israeli meeting in Jerusalem
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The Palestinian Solidarity organisation in Poland has initiated an international campaign against a high level governmental meeting between Poland and Israel to be held in Jerusalem. The meeting is planned to upgrade the countries' defence and econom...
Polish Industrial Output Soars in January
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Poland's industrial output slowed somewhat in January, but stayed in double figures. Output in January rose 10.3% on the year earlier compared with a revised 11.4% increase in December.
A place for Russia in the Weimar Triangle
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The Weimer Triangle is just one of the many prisms through which the EU looks at Russia. After a long break, the heads of state of Poland, Germany and France came together for a meeting of the Weimar Triangle on February 7. Polish President Bronis...
