From the Editor 23 February 2010 Twenty years ago, many people in Poland could not hope to get a phone line installed at home because the country's telecommunications network had more holes in it than a leaky sieve. By the time the system developed enough to match average European standards, most Poles already had a phone-a cell phone.
From the Editor-in-Chief 4 February 2010 To the surprise of most political analysts, Prime Minister Donald Tusk Jan. 28 said he would not run in this year's presidential elections but stay on instead as head of the government.
From the News Editor 4 February 2010 The biggest political spectacle in Poland right now is a special parliamentary commission appointed to investigate a scandal involving prominent politicians of the ruling Civic Platform (PO) party, who supposedly lobbied for their friends-businessmen operating casinos and video arcades. The spectacle is being widely followed, because almost all the commission's hearings are broadcast on live TV. Although the commission is still far from clarifying the gambling scandal, developments at the commission's sessions have been causing a shift in opinion polls. The evident conflict between commission members from PO and the opposition will probably become even more fierce as the weeks go by. After all, this is the year of local and presidential elections.
From the Editor-in-Chief 13 January 2010 2010 is the Year of Fryderyk Chopin, marking the 200th anniversary of the composer's birth. Every country and every people need a positive symbol that they identify with and that instantly identifies them: a logo that is simple, clear, appealing to all, emotional and beautiful, and also international and universal; one feels tempted to say global. The best symbol of Poland is Chopin. The country never had nor will have a better one. Chopin is the spirit of romanticism, non-verbal, pure and loved by millions. Chopin of Poland. This is the essence of the image of the great composer which, particularly this year, should be interwoven with the image of Poland.
From the NEWS editor 13 January 2010 Amid a chilly start to the new year, the race for the presidency is heating up ahead of what will likely prove to be the biggest political event of 2010. The presidential elections in the fall could see the Civic Platform (PO) strengthen its grip on power to a degree that no other party in Poland has managed over the past two decades. All the signs are that the incumbent president, Lech Kaczyński, hailing from the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party chaired by his twin brother Jarosław, stands no chance of being reelected.
From the Editor-in-Chief 16 December 2009 This wasn't an easy year, especially the first six months. The tempest raged around us, and even in Poland the winds were strong. When you hear each morning that there's less money in the coffers and more people without jobs, you have reason to be worried. Good indices drop, bad indices rise, people look grimmer.
From the NEWS editor 16 December 2009 Poland will probably be the only European Union country with GDP growth this year. Most EU countries are in recession, while Poland is coping surprisingly well with the global crisis. Exports are growing, industrial performance is up, and since spring shares prices have risen substantially for most companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The decrease in domestic demand has slowed. The investment market picked up in the third quarter and a growing number of foreign entrepreneurs are looking at Poland as an attractive place to develop their business. Finally, Poland has made the most use of EU funds-it absorbs 20 percent of financial aid available under the cohesion policy and, importantly, all this money is being used. All this bodes well for the coming months. The impact of the global crisis on the domestic economy has been much smaller than forecasts predicted a year ago. According to government ministers responsible for the economy as well as entrepreneurs, optimism is justified that, for Poland at least, the crisis is passing
From the Editor-in-Chief 2 December 2009 Donald Tusk summed up his government's self-assessment after two years in office by calling for profound system changes. The president would be weakened by losing some of his prerogatives (like the right of veto) and would be elected not by voters but by the National Assembly (the lower and upper houses of parliament together), the prime minister's powers would be strengthened, parliament downsized, the election law changed. All this would take place at lightning speed, in time for the presidential election next fall. In order to pass, the package of proposals needs 307 votes in the lower house, which means the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party would have to support the changes.
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