Poland over the next 10 years?

Poland is still a very young democracy.....things don't change overnight.....give it time, things will change.

Me too.......to a degree.....plus going over other peoples expriences will give an idea of how things will turn out in Poland......

Just a thought. We have been talking about the influence of young Polish people who left the country in recent years. Since joining the EU. Am I right ?
In fact we all know that Polish people have been working in the UK, at least, for much longer. Where is the influence from these early travellers ? And might we be better off if those who went to America came home rather than those in the UK ?

You have to take into account that it was probably much harder for them to leave, so they are making their sacrifice worth their while, so to speak....just a thought.

Not sure W...but they were illegal...kept low profiles...didn't want to catch the eye of authorities...etc.....

Any returnee, who has learnt a language, picked up new working methods, made contacts, is more independent...is good for Poland....but that may not be immediately obvious..

True.

my two cents,

Ireland did not have anybody come home for hundreds of years! It was not until the start of the 1990'd that they did! p1990 population 2.5m, today itss near 4.6m (including poles etc etc)

That's true. In most cases It's about money, not any more sophisticated feelings.

To make you happy Poland will be a rich country (one day)

Iwona... try to look at the big picture and not be narrow minded, no one is saying Poland has not got tourist spots, it currently lacks sufficient world class motels, it will never be able to produce the high standard of goods as made in Germany, nor compete with China or India (call centres)... Iwona you seem to think different, its a wonder you don't return to Poland and put your money where your mouth is!

I reckon that Poland will change over years just like Ireland did. In eighties they sufferred massive emigration, emigrating mainly to US and then after years they started coming back, injecting money into the country, setting up new bussinesses etc.
I strongly believe that this is going to happen in Poland as well, that is if mentality will change. Last time i mentioned my theory to my cousins they laughed and said' no way this is going tio happen because we will get taxed and because of this and that' They are already doubtful about something that hasn't even starting happening.

and i just want to say, for the record that a friend of mine working in central Krakow as a waitress over summer period could earn nearly as much as i earn in London, working in the office.It just goes to show, that where is willingness there is a way.The key is a positive attitude

IMO, Poland has a very bright future. Countries such as Slovakia and the Czech Republic are currently ahead of Poland finanically and they have a stronger manufacturing base, but this is certain to change.

My home county in Ireland has recently lost a lot of manufacturing jobs to Poland.

Its estimated that the Polish people are sending in the region of E2-4 Billion Euro back to Poland every year from Ireland alone.

Regarding natural resources, Poland is rich in coal.
Agricultural land is some of the best in Europe, very flat, good drainage and miles of it.
Above all, Polish has a well educated population who are now begining to speak English on a wider scale.
When the current imigrant workers return to Poland in the future, there will be a highly experienced richer workforce who speak English, with the capactiy to invest in property and will attract some large companies to Poland.

Much of the land is underdevlopeld. Property is still relatively cheap. Wages are very low, cost of living is high but low relative to Western Europe.

Infrastructure is rapidly being developed throughout Poland at the moment and there is already a good foundation in Public transport from the communist era.

Poland will be experiencing in the next 10years what Ireland experienced over the last 10 years, with the difference

The only big problems I see at the moment are
[1] the current government , who are stifiling growth and their overbearing links to the Catholic Church. They are also making investment more difficult.
Some of the laws they currently have in place violate EU rules and will need to be changed. I look forward to this government being ousted.
[2] The still relative lack of people who speak fluent English - this is already changing.


(P.S 1 thing I've noticed from this site is that the Polish people still at home believe that migrant Polish workers are all cleaning toilets. Couldn't be more wrong. You should see how many Polish accountants or IT workers we have over here, not to mention construction workers.)

Since most things have been stated already my add is simply in Poland the futures bright the futures......

Haven't been able top post too much recently, am suffering from champagne and model fatigue......

Lef, maybe she is upset because you are focusing more on the downside Vs the
upside of Poland ?

Not that you do that of course

Poland has its flaws, we just dont always want to hear them LEF. just like any
place else, the negative goes along with it, but its always better to hear
positive

In my opinion, it will definately be easier to live in Poland in 10 years for most Poles. Employers will realize that in order to get their businesses going, they need good and reliable workers. Currently good and reliable workers work abroad for foreign employers because they make at least 3-5 times more for the same job they would have done in Poland. In 10 years some of these workers will choose to stay in Poland and work there too. Consequently, it will increase goods consumption and the overall condition of the Polish economy will be almost as good as some well-established EU countries (Italy or Greece at least). However, there will still be some things that will make the other half to immigrate - especially unreasonably high real estate prices and the Polish beaurocracy (combined with EU beaurocracy). The laws set by the government will not make lives of an average Pole easy. A big shock for Poles will be healthcare privatization; from free healtcare they will have to pay substantial amount of money for health insurance. Most Poles won't sign up for that and will live without such insurance. Add to this still high taxes...

Why would they not sign up for it? for health care ? what types of costs are they
facing?

Why? Well, for the same reason 50% of Americans don't sign up for health insurance - it is too damn expansive for an "Average Joe." If you're over 50 and want a good health insurance in the US, you need to pay $300-$500 a month for one person. Add your spouse to that...

you know I am not even thinking signing up seperate from employer, that is what
I meant, do employers in poland also offer this and why would they not sign up?
I can understand the expense, but even still with employers, theres some type
of fee. I guess my question should have been directed more at Why dont the
employers offer it? or do they ? and is the expense same or lower rates?

I don't know the current situation in Poland, but I'm almost positive health insurance in Poland is almost free now - you need to pay some kind of collection every month that is included in your ZUS [social security]. There are many private insurance agencies that offer health benefits to companies, but only the "rich" or those who care about the employers companies sign up for that. I don't think it's mandatory in Poland to offer a private health insurance/benefits to its workers (like it is in the US).

Well, I think this would be a good thing for them, Some type of benefit program
that would also include the whole family, Im not sure what they have now that
is similar to this if anything at all. but I do think if they dont want to become like
western countries, maybe consider Canadas Health care system?

anything is better then nothing. and no culture is touched, only benefits for those
who need it.

After 10 yrs the population .... will have a new face

Keep that chin up Poland is going to come out of the fog and into the
light!

Thanks for all the feedback.I think that in 10 years time Poland will obviously be a wealthier,more developed country (it already is since joining the EU).There will also be a downside to this perhaps with Polish people losing their identity and defining characteristics a bit as we have in Britain (probably in 20 years not 10).

What about Poland as part of...

Confederation of Democratic Slavic States


I would agree that Washawa become Capitol city. In fact, I would vote for it.

yeah,then polish would become ''polishised serbs''(did i spell ok,because it sounds kinda funny
just like back in croatia.i think poland is a land of opprotunities,and can handle by itself,without help.

crow you can polish their polish spears,hehe.

From the little that I have seen of Poland, some care needs to be taken with "progress".
Bielsko-Biala has beautiful architecture and is an almost unique meeting of Prussian and Austro-Hungarian style, what you really don't need is for some maniac mayor to tear down and modernise (any more than has happened already). Lego brick styling exists all over Europe and every place should protect their unique heritage.

Similarly Cracow (when is it called Krakow?); if ever a place needs protection from shopping malls (except the cloth hall of course) - this is it.

More provocative is Polish agriculture. will it ever improve efficiency unless land strips are amalgamated and farmers practice primogeniture?
In England, the first son usually inherits the farm. children may form a company or a partnership but the family land is not split up and especially not split into strips which prevent the use of machinery.

Strip farming is inefficient and archaic, but the practice is part of the inheritance psyche - my little plot for my retirement

I know that communism was part of the cause, I've heard the old "you got the Marshall plan but we got communism" statement (but you didn't have to pay for communism though) and this is true of other former soviet controlled countries too.

So one change that I wouldn't like to see, and one that I would.

Oh, another motorway would be nice too (autostrada?)