News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]

I strongly think these things should be off limits - it was especially out of line to harass Agata Duda about her views on abortion.

However the current PiS government has gone out of their way to be confrontational, starting the day after the election - they have upset the media, the army, the judiciary, the civil service, big business, small business, banks, the EU, the US and not to mention Charley Watts wife.

So having exhausted all goodwill then they can hardly expect any favors in the coverage of this matter

Travel / Warsaw - Exchanging Large Sum GBP > PLN in Poland [48]

Note that if its a classic car on Otomoto there have been a few scams recently of money being paid but car not delivered - Polish gangs operating out of Sweden I think, so make sure you know who you are dealing with. A big cash payment with no trail to them is not going to leave you much evidence if things go wrong.

Travel / Warsaw - Exchanging Large Sum GBP > PLN in Poland [48]

I think the maximum one Kantor could do is PLN 60k under local laws that limit cash transactions. However they will let you know I presume. So you might have to end up going to 3 places.

News / Poland -- Europe's only counterweight to Russia [271]

The statue of De Gaulle is for his personal heroism during the Polish Soviet war when he was posted to the French military advisors - Poles respect that, but if you told them that the US defence guarantee of Nato was now replaced by a French/EU one then I think you might see some worried looks !

News / Hackers attack Polish "erotic dating" site, threaten to expose users [35]

I imagine there are a few worried priests and holier than thou politicians at the moment.

Life / First hand experiences of the Mafia in Poland [28]

Hey - I did not know the CIA had a hotline ? But are these guys Polish or Italian or Jamaican ?

Work / Working for a UK company - National Insurance and income tax in Poland (being resident here) [3]

Those tax bands exclude national insurance. The 32 percent band starts at 85k.

No idea about your other question - ask at your local Zus office and take a Pole with you to translate

Life / Is it a 'big deal' to wish Happy Easter in Poland? [29]

Thanks for the wishes Polonius

Real Estate / Changes to mortgages for EU citizens in Poland with foreign income. [34]

It should be easier but actually I had the opposite experience once - turned up at the notary and told them no bank was involved and i had the money already. Cue a long argument with the moher sellers who thought i wanted to trick them into signing the deeds and then not sending the cash - i think i left the notary at about 2am.

News / What kind of Poland do most Poles want? [101]

I think you are confusing a need for dignity with materialism.

I'm not sure lumpenproletariat is a fair term to use - but yes I am talking about people that have to set their alarm, work for a boss and use public transport, shop at Biedra or Lidl and have their holidays at the Polish coast.

Most people would be happy with an Opel or VW, with a job that gives them say 500-1000 zloty of disposable income once the bills are paid and generally to not have to struggle to feed, house and cloth their kids. I think about 20 million Poles are in this band at the moment.

I really disagree with the comment about cheap cigs and booze - both have reduced sharply in the last decade (as has churchgoing by the way)

Of course there is maybe 10-15% of the population that is getting more materialistic and want a BMW or a Merc, build themselves McMansions and a skiing trip every year, but that is not evil - just the way things are.

The problem for PiS is that they skilfully built a coalition of people that want Christian conservatism and people that want 500 zloty per kid as the basis for a bit of economic dignity. They now need to hold that together.

News / What kind of Poland do most Poles want? [101]

Amazing survey as it shows the divisions between what Polonia, in a comfy New Jersey suburb want is far different from what the average Pole wants.

stop 50 people coming out of Biedronka or waiting for a tram and I think they would say

1 A bit of spare cash every month, not having to live on the breadline
2 Possibilities for their kids to get a good education, equal opportunity and not have to emigrate afterwards
3 some security in their old age and some help to buy medicine
4 their own means of transport and cheaper petrol
5 a reasonable place to live and the possibility to own their own place one day
6 maybe a modest holiday once a year and some good stuff on the tv
7 know that their taxes are being spent wisely
8 be treated like adults - smoke, drink and party if they want to but realize its personal choice and personal responsibility
9 not be invaded by Russia

If you think that they are thinking about what kind of Christianity or Slavic heritage bothers them then that is a delusion.

News / Amber Gold and other Poland's suspicious institutions [139]

clearly the Tusk era banking regulators, UOKiK and public prosecutors were at fault on this issue. Yes, Amber Gold took advantage of woefully low standards of financial education in Poland but this scam should have been picked up much earlier

Real Estate / New land law legislation in Poland will make life very difficult when it comes to selling. [21]

It is a licence for corruption, a ridiculous reduction of personal freedoms and a massive own goal as it will hit PiS supporters far harder in their pockets than any of the mythical speculators (most foreign investors are in any case very guarded about bringing cash into Poland at the moment).

Real Estate / Changes to mortgages for EU citizens in Poland with foreign income. [34]

it is a perfect example of dysfunctional EU intervention in the market. The EU is supposed to make cross border transactions easier and it can hardly be unusual to have mixed families from two EU countries, or even to have holiday homes or a pied-a-terre in one country where you spend some time. very poorly thought through piece of legislation that makes life more difficult for banks and for consumers.

Law / Change of a company (visa) in Poland [9]

i think you possibly need to start the work permit process again - sorry for the bard news on top of the bad treatment you already had ! There will be some other people here with more experience but in any case dont rely on your current employers to sort it out.

News / 2016, the year of change in Poland? [70]

Oh, there will be no trouble raising the cash from the LTE - I'm sure investors will be forming a line round the block to buy that - of course there is no danger of this government scaring people away with say arbitrary taxes or making someone totally unqualified the telecoms minister or the regulator.

News / 2016, the year of change in Poland? [70]

Last night when watching TVP i noticed that these cursed soldier things are being sponsored bt PZU, PKO and PGNiG. like in Hungary, these businesses are now being treated as extensions of the state - totally direspectful for shareholders like myself to see our cash spent on party political works.

Still i will be getting my 500 zloty in April, I have no doubt about that because Mrs Szydlo promised it. i trust her very much and obviously I realize that first they have important matters like changing the management of stud farms to handle.

News / 2016, the year of change in Poland? [70]

Nope - the draft law says all second kids get it and that is what was promised by Mrs Szydlo in the election. Its our reward for producing another generation of hard working Poles and I'm waiting for it to be paid. 1st April she said.

News / 2016, the year of change in Poland? [70]

There was no discussion of whether we needed the money or not - PiS promised it to all parents of two kids. But I have 100% faith they will deliver their promise just as soon as they have finished the important business of deciding who might have been a double agent 30 years ago.

News / 2016, the year of change in Poland? [70]

Yes, second kid - proud Pole and he attends church with me every Sunday. Come on Mrs Szydlo - don't let us down with that cash.

Life / Places to buy a decent suit in Warsaw [16]

you will certainly not get tailor made for 2000 zloty. A regular tailor made suit is 3000 and what you have there looks like quite a lot more work. I also doubt you would find tailors outside the main towns - I have one who is pretty good but he is extremely ancient and to put it mildly works at his own pace - I'm still waiting for a suit I had measured in November.

There should be plenty of options in Krakow to hire something like that I would have thought ?

News / 2016, the year of change in Poland? [70]

Yes I think its terrific that they are winning the battles of the 1980s - things that really were keeping the average Pole up at night.

Now I'm looking forward to my 500+ which I understand will be in my bank account on the 1st of April. The government seem to have been a bit quiet about it the last few weeks but given their competence I full trust in them and I have no doubt I will be able to spend it on clothes for my kid on 2nd April.

Work / Average salary in Poland for PhD in IT [40]

Well it seems like these are technical IT jobs and evidently the Poles are either unable or unwilling to do them at this price. Of course it is not a conspiracy to keep Poles out of the market as these ads seem to relate to multiple companies in Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, even Lodz sometimes.

I have to say the whole Shared Service thing baffles me - they get huge grants from the EU or Polish govt to establish these centres which then employ foreigners.

Life / First hand experiences of the Mafia in Poland [28]

very strange post that - if you are talking about 3 year olds being abused then the best person to go to is the police.

Rest of the post looks like a pretty good party - if you take drink and drugs then then that is your problem if you can't remember things or do things you regret.

Classifieds / ANY FOREIGNER (NOT POLISH) FAMILY ADVOCATE IN WARSAW [39]

I will try and give you a sensible response. There are many discussions on here stating that Polish courts and legal system do not treat foreign fathers well. Your best chance might be a long road through the British courts, but you would need to clear up that rape allegation first.

I know many lawyers but it is clear here that your lawyer does not trust you to pay - on that basis then a retainer is an acceptable agreement. 2,500 zloty is not much money for such a matter.

News / PiS to impose blanket retail tax in Poland [291]

Seems like the govt has managed to annoy everyone with the new tax - small players who thought they would be protected now get hit harder than the foreign operators, petrol stations and utility shops see their entire margin wiped out. I read in Rz today about the contortions that furniture shops will use to get round the nonsensical weekend tax - that on Saturday you don't purchase that sofa, you merely look at it and buy it on tick and get it delivered on Monday.

Clear to me that nobody in the govt has any idea of unintended consequences or of economics - the law looks it was drafted by a sophomore student.

Work / What is Warsaw's Google Campus all about in Poland? [13]

I have dealt with these guys a bit. Its a PR initiative - they are not expecting to unearth many diamonds in any of these places in terms of businesses but its a good place to meet coders and developers.

As for mentoring I think they are quite choosy about who is there.

The space is more expensive but its also a better level.

I actually think its really positive that they choose Warsaw compared to Budapest or Prague

Travel / What do you know about Torun, Poland? [30]

I really like the bulwar - has parking and very central. Not cheap but might be worth ringing them up and seeing of you can do a deal

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

You want to do an MBA but you cannot even make 1 minutes google search to see what the currency is in Poland ?

Law / Biggest supermarket chains in Poland vs Germany [23]

Sorry wulkan - its too much hassle to post links on my tablet - but the same data was in most of the Polish business press and when I am back on my laptop I will post it.

i am unsure why supporting small shops is seen as desirable policy - when I first came to Poland that was all there was and the service was awful - you had to get meat, dairy, veg, sweets from different counters, queue and pay 4 times, could not touch the products as they were behind a vitrine, you could not always expect a fridge on a hot day, I also remember some bizarre policies where you had to carry a basket even if you only wanted to buy a quart of milk. It was obvious this model would be wiped out once duties were abolished after EU entry.