Grzegorz Rudnik in the latest article in the Review entitled “Poor or Rich” publishes something that can be called a study on the most crucial life affairs of Poles. By the method of contradictions it does not necessarily mean that life in our country becomes lighter, easier and is expected to make the intellectual state as the name of Poland would suggest, which would be smiling, and so happy.
Increase in fragmentation
The last 5 years are surely a time of turmoil due to the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and yet inflation and the associated, permanent psychosis. First of all, this period involves an increase in the cost of living, frequently occupied by tragedies, bankruptcies, occupation losses. However, this did not apply to the richest. The author of the article clearly shows that their full assets of PLN 315 billion now grew on average 10% per year. So faster than the GDP sanctified in Poland. At the another end we find the minimum pension amount of PLN 1878, 91. In addition, there are 438,000 people collecting a penny pension of PLN 1200. However, the author points out the contradiction between the incomes of the average Pole, and the fact that we are now in a situation that we have never been in, as we are said to have never been as rich as today.
Growth in GDP and unemployment
The author besides points out that GDP increased by 857 percent between 1990 and 2020, giving us second place in the planet after China. It does not indicate that, however, we are dealing with 2 different economies in which this Chinese caused about 800 million people to be drawn out of poverty. He claims that growth could be even better if the strategy for Poland was implemented Grzegorz Kolodko. The consequence of the cumulative GDP growth of 28 percent was not repeated by anyone. It resembles Balcerowicz's reforms, which resulted in a collapse in GDP of 1.1% and an increase in unemployment, which reached a evidence in 2003, erstwhile it amounted to 20.7%. In April of this year, it was to be 2,7%. Which gave us the second lowest consequence in the European Union. The question arises in relation to specified a result, and at the same time carried out mass dismissals throughout Poland – whether Poles can cope so rapidly and find fresh employment or not registry with the Labour Offices.
Opening up Europe
The article indicates that everything saved Poland's entry into the European Union and NATO. This opened up our country for services and goods from Poland. And most importantly, investors could enter here, due to the fact that Poland offered them low taxes and what the author called a "disciplined labour force", and thus 1 which is not besides rebellious due to low wages or not complying with the labour code. He besides did not mention the word "low labour costs", which means not only low taxes but besides wages. The entry into the Union was expected to make us a bigger trading partner for Germany present than China, and we are besides to be individual who dominated the transport marketplace in Europe, and exports of agricultural products increased annually at 10%. However, there is no criticism about the beginning up of Europe to Ukraine, which causes major problems both for Polish transport companies and the profitability of agriculture in Poland in the close future.
Exports of labourand transfers of cash
A large contradiction is besides seen between the praise of the full era intended to be characterized by how rich we are, and the fact that many Poles must come to this wealth frequently by rejuvenating themselves to work in large Britain, Germany, France, Norway and Iceland. This, however, again results in yearly financial transfers of 18-20 billion. This is intended to increase income growth, household growth, consumption and surviving standards. This besides reduced the current account deficit and improved the country's balance of payments. It should be reiterated – all this at the expense of sacrifices linked to the very widespread eradication and de facto export of respective million citizens as a labour force outside the borders of their home country. The next advantage that the author points out is the transfer of cash from the European Union, which amounted to EUR 245.4 billion between 2004 and 2024. With this, the contributions amounted to EUR 83.7 billion, so we had to make EUR 161 billion clean. The author besides focuses on exchanging the current situation of beneficial consumption due to the availability of goods and services through low prices. However, it does not ask the question again that these transfers from the European Union go hand in hand with the country's debt and the expanding interest payments, as abroad debt handling itself is increasing, as well as the size of the budget deficit that was passed the erstwhile year and reached another evidence sum. In addition, the fact that these transfers would not be possible if we had not already disposed of their property, whose genesis dates back to the 19th century and the partitions, alternatively than as erroneously many opponents of the Polish People's Republic indicate that they were plants built after 1945.
However, earnings are low
However, we announcement a strong contradiction erstwhile we come to the point of bitter facts concerning Poles' earnings. While we have achieved 2nd place in the planet in cumulative GDP growth over 30 years, different experts tell us that we are rich all the time as never before and that there is access to material goods, the issue of earnings is rather the opposite. The average yearly wage was EUR 18054 in 2023, which meant 5th place in Europe. Traditionally, here we are better than Romanians and Bulgarians. However, this would positively translate into labour parity, as the same would amount to $43,500-52000 a year. What is expected to be the average consequence at 50% higher in Germany, almost twice as advanced in Switzerland, even higher in Norway and amounting to 130,373 dollars in Luxembourg. Against the background of Ukraine, from their 15885 dollars of purchasing power, we are naturally positive, but the author does not take into account the dominants and the median earnings of much less, and writing about rather a large number of apartments per 1000 Poles does not mention that many of them cannot afford to buy their own, nor for cash, nor especially after obtaining a loan, which cannot afford much of Poles without their savings.
Poverty With Poverty
Finally, the last contradiction showing the inadequacy of enthusiasm due to the "religion of growth" is the fact of surviving in utmost poorness of 2.5 million Poles. In 2023, 17 million people lived below the poorness line. This was associated with the results of research, in which 46 percent believed that he was below the social minimum. On the 1 hand, we pretend to have access to these consumer goods, and on the another hand, inflation has caused an increase in the fixed costs essential for operation. And this feeling continued despite the fall in inflation after the PiSu governments erstwhile it went up drastically. There is besides an opinion of at least 2 thirds of respondents on the wellness condition of access to it, the number of doctors or nurses. The author here does not point to euthanasia performed in Poles during the pandemic, which resulted in excess deaths which we are dealing with today. The closure of infirmary wards for the sick then triggered an avalanche of death due to chronic diseases, although the mysterious virus intended to origin the demolition of humanity was abruptly defeated by driving it off with Russian tanks.
Armaments alternatively of health
In its conclusions, the author points out that fear management is presently trying to shift the country to increased arms spending, at the expense of hospitals, kindergartens, clinics, schools, as well as social benefits and pensions. He claims that it is only erstwhile we truly feel the deficiency of funds in our portfolios to be able to be that the dream of European promoters who care so much about Ukraine and our safety that they had to burn hundreds of billions, if not trillions, into the arms of their citizens. And this fear is not groundless about the author, due to the fact that the Germans have already passed the abolition of the debt limit, and she insists on it. Ursula von der Leyen another European countries. And that's what we talk about getting into our savings. It is only erstwhile the author claims that the time of departure and laying on the beaches is over that it may be time for late reflection and despair. The communicative of "continuous enrichment" and "magic growth of GDP" will then be not worth much.
Bartłomiej Doborzyński
Text for the Polish Barometer.
