News / Poland's PIS go back to their old ways [194]

It is strange, to be honest. I think most people would be far more accepting of a party that was genuinely under Church control rather than the current situation where the bishops are heavily involved with PiS and vice-versa.

Law / Marriage Interview at Foreign Office in Poland - possible questions and chances for a negative response [10]

Expect in-depth questioning. You can expect to be asked about your sex life, her preferences, her dislikes, everything. They can and will interrogate you thoroughly about your relationship to make sure that it's genuine.

The fact that you've got married at 21 will set off alarm bells.

News / Poland's PIS go back to their old ways [194]


Michnik is a journalist, so it's rather expected of them. But from the Church point of view - every interference causes a massive negative reaction, so it's really not in their interest to do so.


Not a bad idea. I'd start by getting them to talk about all the good work they do and tell them to shut up about in vitro, homosexuality and other fringe issues. Francis should be the inspiration.

News / Poland's PIS go back to their old ways [194]

Wouldn't it also be explained in terms of people not buying property and so on? From 2008 onwards, it became very difficult to buy property - and by all accounts, the property market slowed down dramatically. If people were buying less, then the percent relative to GDP would fall quite naturally.

I'm not sure it's a straight correlation between increased GDP and increased tax revenue. This is why I lament the problem in Poland of experts being so heavily wrapped up in politics - we could do with some unbiased observations on the matter.

News / Poland's PIS go back to their old ways [194]


With freedom of speech comes great responsibility. If you consider that people get angry every time the Church interferes in politics, wouldn't it be better to keep quiet for their own sake?


Is there any reason why? It would perhaps be much more honest if the Church said "we have a party, vote for us". I'd certainly embrace the existence of a Church party with a manifesto based entirely around the current teachings.


There's a reason for that. Eurostat has been fiddling with statistical methods for the last while, and they started to include the black economy too. So it stands to reason that tax collected as a percentage of GDP would fall - particularly as some areas of the black economy (prostitution, drugs) are quite sizable in most European countries.

News / Poland's PIS go back to their old ways [194]

Shame on both of them, if you ask me. I've always thought that the Church was strongest when avoiding getting involved in politics, as it just led to the recent embarrassing climbdown over not actually excommunicating those that voted for IVF.

Travel / First port of entry for Indian national holding D Visa - is it Warsaw or can I enter another Schengen country? [11]

Can be any port of entry, but it's wise to hold tickets through to Poland. For instance, you could land in Frankfurt and then connect onto Warsaw by plane, or land in Berlin and connect to Poland by train.

With the D visa, you've got 3 months visa-free in any other Schengen country with only your travel document and visa/residence permit.

News / Poland's PIS go back to their old ways [194]

It's the fact that they get involved so openly with politics.

SLD, PO, PiS, doesn't matter - it's always annoying to see professors ruin their reputations by supporting political causes.

News / Poland's PIS go back to their old ways [194]


Good. The Germans do very well with legalised and taxed prostitution. As I recall, GDP figures already take it into account anyway.


Stop. Just stop.

2007's revenues - finanse.mf.gov.pl/documents/766655/1490440/2007+r - 241 billion.
2014's revenues - finanse.mf.gov.pl/documents/766655/3406416/2014+r - 297 billion.

Why are you telling such bad and obvious lies? It's an increase of 56 billion - or around 23% increase in tax revenues since the start of the PO government. That's really not a bad result given the economic crisis...

He's a PiS member and hence his "figures" are absolute lies.

There are areas of tax law that can be dramatically improved - but in general, PO have overseen a huge increase in collected taxes.

Harry mentioned above about crosses - is it really true that they've started putting up a cross daily outside the Presidential Palace?

And if so, excellent :D

edit : found some pictures online. Poor Duda - in the job 24 hours and already the psychos are proclaiming him to be their saviour. Poor PiS - no matter what they do, their supporters will always screw it up for them.

News / Poland's PIS go back to their old ways [194]



Member of PiS. Excuse me while I fall over in shock.

News / Poland's PIS go back to their old ways [194]


And what is the political affiliation of those professors?

Poland's university sector is sadly riddled with unprofessional idiots that will say anything to support political parties. For that reason, I find it impossible to take such words seriously unless it comes from someone known to be apolitical.

News / Poland's PIS go back to their old ways [194]


He's completely right. No country (even North Korea) exists by itself. Maybe you think it's a big deal, but to most of us, we know and understand that Poland would completely collapse overnight should it cease to be dependent on others.


Gumishu, come on... do you really believe that, or are you just repeating what the opposition says?

The total collection in 2014 was budgeted at around 114 billion zloty. What you're claiming is that 1/3rd of VAT revenues have been evaded - which would be news all over the world if it were true. That number was invented by PiS in order to show how they'll pay for all these social programmes that are totally unfunded - when the time comes to deliver on those promises, they'll blame a shortfall on tax revenues and hence they won't be enacted.


The tax level is at pretty much the lowest amount allowed in the EU. It is significantly cheaper than in Germany (although Germany has quite low fuel taxes...) and hugely cheaper than in Italy and the Netherlands. Don't try and pretend otherwise, and don't blame the EU - there is absolutely no obligation for Poland to raise taxes on fuel, but of course PiS will try and blame the EU when they load 20-30gr on every litre with their first budget.


Alior will be taken over by PZU. Most of the others (except PEKAO and Millennium) will probably not survive as well. PKO and PZU have made it pretty clear that they intend to mop up a lot of the smaller retail banks.


The government isn't turning a blind eye, this is the thing. Anyone that runs a business will tell you how the tax office has been getting very sharp recently - including ZUS going after false "umowa o dzieło" contracts, the tax office has pretty much placed kasa fiskalna machines in most businesses including doctors and lawyers, and in general, the black economy is falling. It's not an overnight job, but they're on the right path.

What PiS is claiming is that they can fund all their electoral promises through "improved tax collection". It's utterly false - anyone that understands politics will know that the real plan is to tax everyone with New Labour-style stealth taxation. Notice how PiS are utterly silent on the huge burden that self employed people face - that's because the self employed will be one of their big targets for more taxation.

News / Poland's PIS go back to their old ways [194]


Who will pay for it?


At the cost to the Polish consumer.


At least the case I'm familiar with - Biedronka and Lidl - pay quite good wages. I think the only chain guilty of what you're suggesting is Carrefour, who tend to hire very poor agency staff. It's a shame, because Carrefour in France is a fantastic supermarket.


How does this fit in with the fact that most banks are already Polish owned, and their bank tax will simply hurt Polish consumers?

PiS-economics are entirely based around stealth taxation (on supermarkets, on banks, which at the end of the day are a tax on the consumer) to pay for social welfare measures. It's a model copied straight from the British New Labour - headline taxes are low, but in reality, crippling increases are applied to many things in every day life. We currently have the cheapest (give or take 1 cent) fuel prices in the EU - PiS-economics means extra fuel taxes, which would hurt ordinary Poles.

Work / Information about jobs for Indian students in Poland [286]


They do, but the problem is that they have sufficient funds on paper. From what I recall, the usual scam is that they loan x amount of zloty to keep in their bank account as proof of income, then they keep the money in the bank and repay the loan with their earnings in Poland (or elsewhere). The problem is that most of them coming here don't realise just how difficult it is to work menial jobs - Ukrainians, Belarusians and Russians already took all of those jobs, and no-one is going to hire an Indian over someone that will pick up Polish very easily.

News / Are Poland's politicians able to speak foreign languages? [29]


Allegedly. There's not a single example of him using English in the European Parliament, and there's not a single piece of evidence to suggest that he actually can use it.


French seems to be the most likely possibility, but still strange.


It's more or less the lingua franca of cycling, too.


That part is a distinct possibility - his electorate are the same kind of fools that mocked Romney and Kerry for speaking French, after all.

But to be honest, if he could speak English, he would've almost certainly given an interview (or several) in English during the electoral campaign towards the Polonia in the US. The fact that he didn't suggests very clearly that he's not capable in English, not like Grabar-Kitarovic... (incidentally, Grabar-Kitarovic's English skills might have won her a few votes from the Croatian diaspora...)

News / Poland's PIS go back to their old ways [194]


What I can gather is that Duda did everything that a Presidential candidate should do. He had the big showy official nomination meeting, he put in a spectacular amount of work (I don't remember if it was 150 or 250 appearances, but it was a huge amount) and he really did a good job of encouraging people in more marginal places to get out and vote. Your example is perfectly true - he was out there working as hard as possible and probably couldn't do much more. I may dislike Duda and his "promises", but his election campaign was a textbook example of how to do it.

Komorowski on the other hand barely bothered, his official nomination meeting was dull and dreary, and his whole performance was utterly lacklustre. He beat Duda twice in the debates, but it wasn't enough - he was certainly punished in larger towns as a result. I noticed that he was doing things such as only turning up in PO heartlands - but those places would have been 65-70% Komorowski regardless. All he really had to do was to get out there to marginal areas and to show that he was listening to them - but he didn't, and as a result, they punished him.


So Duda will refrain from vetoing any legislation that offers people choice, then? Mutual respect means that I respect your choice not to use in vitro - and you respect my choice to use it. I respect your choice to attend church, and you respect LGBT individuals. That's mutual respect.


PSL was never idiotic - they consist mostly of middle class people. Maybe 15 years ago, they were, but the PSL evolved to be rather a party representing middle class rural interests.

PiS on the other hand - except the Presidential election, every single election for the last 8 years has had the same result - older, lesser educated go to PiS, younger, educated go to PO. The problem is that the PO electorate has a habit of staying away - whereas the PiS voters are fanatical about turning out.

I rather suspect those that consider voting PiS now will immediately regret it as soon as their parents lose their jobs in the administrations because PiS want only loyal party cadre in those positions.

Study / Is there racism in Poznan and hate crime against coloured people (students)? [59]

Yes, I imagine so. I mean, it has nothing in common with the biggest selling Polish newspaper, does it?

Anyway, Poland is what it is. It's not a multicultural paradise, but it's not some neo-Nazi hell as well.

News / Poland's PIS go back to their old ways [194]


So you claim. Doesn't seem to be backed up by economic data. Sorry, but I trust GUS more than someone who obviously supports PiS.

Duda's election had a negative effect on the złoty and on the markets. That much is verifiable, and far more trustworthy than a guest poster online. The zloty was heading towards 3.9/Euro before the election - now it's 4.17 and not showing any signs of being able to strengthen beyond 4.10. Duda, good for business? Hahaha.

News / Are Poland's politicians able to speak foreign languages? [29]

Moved from another thread

Coincidentally, I notice that Duda doesn't speak a word of English. Komorowski spent time in prison camps, what's Duda's excuse?

News / Poland's PIS go back to their old ways [194]

Shall we take bets on how long it will take for some sort of "Presidential Commission" to be set up to investigate the "murder" at Smolensk?

News / Poland's PIS go back to their old ways [194]

First act and they're already playing stupid political games, what a surprise.

Perhaps one of our resident PiS supporters can explain why they've failed to invite the highest level Polish politician ever to the ceremony?

Study / Is there racism in Poznan and hate crime against coloured people (students)? [59]


Hahaha, no. It's hipster-ville now, and not dangerous in the slightest. Anyone that claims Jezyce is "dangerous" has led a very sheltered life.

The fact that some highly irritating Nigerian is leading constant "ministry" in his flat in Jezyce tells you all you need to know about how safe it is.

Real Estate / SUROWY DOM IN POLAND - UNFINISHED HOMES FOR SALE - COST TO COMPLETE THE BUILD? [16]

Out of curiosity, how much does it cost you to heat your house?

I'm contemplating buying one, but my heating bills at the minute are ridiculously low due to living in a 1980's block full of 50somethings that live with the heating permanently on. I don't even need to touch the heating until it's below -15c because of them :)

Work / New business start-up in Poland - opinions and ideas [32]

The 5100 will do the job perfectly. You'll want to add some filters and other basic things, and maybe another lens to make sure that you've got all situations covered. As you're in a small town, even if you don't have space at home, it should be easy enough to rent some space for a studio without paying much money.

The other useful thing about photography is that it doesn't have much commitment in terms of being away from home, and you can't really lose money on it. Models are easy to find (for free - so called "TFP" or "time for prints") to practice on - so she can get lots of experience without much effort. If you can put together a home studio, it's even better as people will travel to her for photo sessions.

Real Estate / How to buy an apartment in Poland - can I pay in full cash? [20]


No. There's a pre-contract agreement, which essentially means that the seller is obliged to sell the property at that price. They can't back out once this is signed.

Work / New business start-up in Poland - opinions and ideas [32]

Photography is actually the most viable idea. People always want photographs, and she could branch into opening a modelling agency at the same time. It's the kind of business that can be run from home, and the equipment doesn't need updated. A friend does it, and his start-up costs were roughly 3k PLN - that was for a fully equipped home studio. A camera and lenses will set you back no more than 3-4k PLN, so it's a total of 7,000. Furthermore, in the process - she can learn editing skills and then also work for foreign clients - which can also bring in decent money.

There are so many niches within photography where you can earn good money, and there are a lack of good photographers in small towns in Poland.

Speaking of photography - I can guide you in the right direction if you're interested. Female photographers are always in demand, especially for things like pregnancy sessions and mother/baby sessions.

Food / SURVEY OF THE POLISH CONSUMERS' CONSUMPTION HABITS OF CAFÉS [28]

25zl?! No, it really isn't.

Columbus is a mass chain, so is Nero. I'm not sure where you're getting your information from.

Anyway, Poznań has the strongest cafe culture in Poland. Wrocław is non-existent (much more orientated around beer, the Lwowian coffee culture simply didn't take hold...), though Warsaw would be a strong second.

Life / IVF Clinics and Women in Poland? [20]


What a surprise. After all the fuss and hysteria, they backed down.

Work / Opinion and advice on Foodtruck business in Poland. Permits, renting organization. [8]


Really? It's massive in Poznań - there was even a festival of them not so long ago.

facebook.com/events/1394619450862522

There must be at least 7-8 around in the centre at any one time. Like everything in Poland, one opened up and was successful, so it was instantly followed by 5 other idiots who sold exactly the same thing.

Having said that, I'm not particularly fond of them myself. I struggle to see the difference between them and a British burger van except the fact that they sell hipster soft drinks (attention Harry :p).