[10.10.2011, 12:15] The result of the Sunday vote seems to suggest that for the first time in decades the Poles have more to lose than gain. The average Polish voter has reached a certain point of comfort, where stability seems like a much better option than allowing any revolutionaries to gamble with the country's future. It is truly remarkable, that a party that promised the least in terms of social spending, benefits and the like, has received close to 40% of votes in a country that used to fall for all kinds of empty promises in the past. This, in our view, reflects the normalization of Polish politics and the consolidation of a broader and more stable centre in the country's political system. The appearance of a socially liberal grouping on the left end of the political spectrum, the Palikot Movement, and its strong result in the vote, also paradoxically confirms a growing maturity of Poland's political life.
[30.08.2011, 14:08] With six weeks left till the October 9 parliamentary election, one cannot help but wonder whether Poland has seen a less exciting campaign in the past two decades. Even though the usual bickering between the top political parties is taking place, there is so little fire and even less substance in their statements as if the result has been already decided.
[06.07.2011, 13:17] This year marks two decades since news2biz started its coverage of the Polish market. It has also been twenty years since the global commercial real estate advisory firm Cushman & Wakefield launched its Polish operations.
[17.03.2011, 13:14] Poland's ailing pension system, which prior to the global financial meltdown had often been brought up as an example for the aging western economies to follow, has become the key issue in the country's economic and political debates of the past few months. What dragged the pension funds into the limelight were the government's plans to lower the old-age pension contribution transferred to mandatory open pension funds (OFEs) to 2.3% of gross wages from the current 7.3%. According to estimates, the move will allow for the lowering of the state's borrowing needs by PLN 195bn (EUR 47.8bn) by 2020.
[11.04.2010, 19:02] The first spring issue of news2biz POLAND was supposed to be completely different. After putting all the stories together Friday evening I skimmed through all of them once again only to marvel at the amount of positive news from the country. A new wave of huge foreign investments, natural resource discoveries, reconciliation with Russia – all of these made for a very positive outlook for the country, which over the last year seems to have finally reached its momentum as a bright spot of hope in the heart of a crisis-stricken Europe.