Infrastructure is lacking despite economic growth in largest of nations about to join European Union
Published:
29 March 2004 y., Monday
Just weeks before Poland joins the European Union on May 1, Warsaw struts a new prosperity. But all is not what it seems: Despite strong economic growth driven by exports, the country faces high unemployment, political uncertainty and deeply rooted corruption.
Paradoxes abound. Those who can afford new Volvos or BMWs must still drive them along potholed roads. The hip cafes that draw fashionable young people are often housed in drab Stalinist-era concrete block buildings.
And many of the luxury goods for sale in the bright new shops and malls remain off-limits to many in Poland, where only 1 percent earn above $18,000 a year.
Such contrasts exist in all eight former communist states due to join the EU, but the stakes are highest in Poland, the largest of the new countries.
With more than 38 million people, Poland accounts for 52 percent of the new EU citizens. Poles will be 8.4 percent of the union’s population, so its economy performance will have a major impact on the rest of the bloc, the world’s largest economic union.
Analysts say that Poland’s greatest economic strength is the many modern, efficient companies that have made the transition and are already selling successfully to EU countries.
Ten years ago, Polish exports consisted mostly of raw products like coal, sulfur, apples and meat. Today, exports also include higher-value goods like precision surgical instruments, pharmaceuticals and car engines.
Šaltinis:
detnews.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
Mr. Olli Rehn, European Union Commissioner, and Mr. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), issued the following joint statement on Greece.
more »
The offering of shares of the new issue will commence on 03-05-2010.
more »
The World Bank today approved a $12 million IDA credit to Bhutan, designed to improve infrastructure services in parts of the capital city of Thimphu where no formal services are currently available.
more »
Fisheries ministers and stakeholders alike will be discussing the future shape of the EU's Common Fisheries Policy at two major events in Spain over the next days. On 2 and 3 May, in La Coruña, the Commission and the Spanish Presidency are organising a large stakeholder conference on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.
more »
Asia is leading the global recovery and the region’s contribution to global growth will continue to exceed that of other regions in the next two years, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said today in its latest Regional Economic Outlook (REO) for Asia and the Pacific.
more »
The EBRD is supporting the modernization of the electricity distribution network and the development of renewable energy sources in Poland with a PLN 800 million loan (equivalent to approximately €205 million) to the Energa energy group in order to help the company strengthen its power grid.
more »
At the beginning of the summer this year, Vilnius will become the capital of the Baltic Sea region. On 1-2 June 2010, the city will host the Baltic Sea States Summit and the Baltic Development Forum (BDF) Summit.
more »
Visitors of the World Expo 2010, which will open in the Chinese city of Shanghai on May 1st under the slogan “Better City, Better Life” and will last for 184 days until the end of October, are kindly invited to get into a hot air balloon at the Lithuanian Pavilion.
more »
According to preliminary data, unaudited net loss sustained over the first quarter of the year 2010 by SEB Bank is LTL 59,4 million (EUR 17,2 million) and that by SEB Bank Group is LTL 80,3 million (EUR 23,3 million).
more »
European Globalisation Adjustment fund (EGF) aid must be delivered faster and more simply to unemployed workers hit by the financial crisis or globalisation, concluded the Budgets and Employment committees after evaluating the fund on Wednesday.
more »