History / Recent Lech Walesa interview made by VBS [30]

It's about what can be expected from someone with primary school education. You don't expect Gazeta Polska or the like to use complicated language, and nor do I expect Lech Walesa to do the same. His leadership of Solidarity and even the Presidency was done in one way - by doing what he thought was right. No more and no less could be expected.

If Gorbachev wanted, the GDR would still be in existence today.

Work / Studies In Poland, is it easy to survive on part-time jobs? [259]


It means I'll give you a job for 3zl an hour in Wroclaw.

Work / I'M SO SURPRISED BY THIS SALARY FOR IBM in WROCLAW 3000 ZL gross [135]


It's why it's silly to assume that Poles only earn the salary that they declare - I don't think it's any secret that the backbone of the country is in the black economy.

Another example : I have access to a lot of free English books, because I know someone who runs a bookshop. So - free textbooks and free office, without doing very much. If I was to pay for this, I'd be looking at spending over 1000zl a month - but I don't have to.

News / Why is Poland developing so slowly or in the wrong direction? Who is responsible ? [317]


And this is solely because of the hysterical "Solidarity" types who threaten hunger strikes and who riot every time any sort of reforms are promised.

I'd say it's almost certain that a PO win in the next election will mean huge reforms, especially in regards to pensions. They aren't going to risk it now, but with themselves (and Komorowski) comfortably in power for 4 years, they'll have the mandate to finally put a stop to those hideously large pensions that are being paid to former State employees.

Work / I'M SO SURPRISED BY THIS SALARY FOR IBM in WROCLAW 3000 ZL gross [135]


Oh yes. It's one thing about Poland - you can save a hell of a lot of money by simply knowing the right person from the right place. Heck, I have a very nice office for myself, all because I met someone who wanted English lessons - and for the size of it, I save at least 800zl a month in the process for about 8 hours a month of my time.

Good deal? I'd say so.

Work / Studies In Poland, is it easy to survive on part-time jobs? [259]

If you want to work in Poland, you need to know Polish.

Is it really that difficult to understand?

Having said this, I'll pay you 3zl an hour.

Work / I'M SO SURPRISED BY THIS SALARY FOR IBM in WROCLAW 3000 ZL gross [135]


170 for public transport? I thought Wroclaw was like Poznan - about 80zl a month for the public transport pass? MPK Wroclaw say 80zl for the pass within the city limits.

Mobile costs? You can get a year's worth of service on play for 10zl.

So - more realistically.

2300zl netto.

500-600zl a month for a room in a shared flat. (1700zl left)
80zl - Public transport pass (1620zl left)
40zl - mobile (1580zl left).

Something is seriously wrong if you can't live on 1500zl a month in Poland - and entry level professionals aren't going to be paying for private health care. Medicine is pretty cheap unless you're a major hypochrondriac. Even private health insurance can be as cheap as around 120zl a month for the basic cover. As much as people moan about it, the basic NFZ cover isn't terrible either - I've used it for both dentristy and general practice and been pleasantly surprised by the quality.

I don't understand why people think that entry level jobs in Poland should pay a high salary comparable to Western Europe. It's entry level!


Well, they can't expect to move abroad and suddenly be kings. Are they likely to have their own flat and comfortable living standards in the UK? Not very likely - I know people struggling in London on 25k a year.

Living standards are lower here, no doubt about it - but that's to be expected from a poorer country.

Work / I'M SO SURPRISED BY THIS SALARY FOR IBM in WROCLAW 3000 ZL gross [135]


Hardly. You can easily get a room for 500-600PLN a month. Public transport is 100zl a month at the most - and if you can't live on 1300PLN a month, there's something wrong with you.

So much nonsense is posted on here - but heck, if you can't live on 250 pounds a month after the bills are paid, something is wrong!

News / Why is Poland developing so slowly or in the wrong direction? Who is responsible ? [317]


Oh yes it is. Many of the unemployable idiots went West - and the economy is better as a result, because we don't have to fund them.

Anyway, Poland seems to be developing fine. The only people that think it's developing in the wrong direction are the ones who think that the State should look after them because they're too lazy to do something about it.


Why? None of the parties support such a move. Even PiS, for all the criticism of their socialist policies are much more inclined to financially support the companies as opposed to keeping them in public hands.

History / Recent Lech Walesa interview made by VBS [30]


Just goes to show that the archives are completely untrustworthy. Not only did we have the Communists routinely falsifying documents, but then we have one side of Solidarity removing documents and another side manipulating documents - really, who in their right mind would trust a damn thing in them these days?

Even more reason to simply lock the documents up and throw the key away - no good can come of them now.


What a surprise, abuse always comes from hysterical anti-communists (what communists? where? last time I checked, communism was banned in Poland) with nothing better to do with their lives. I'm sure it's some sort of envy that they sat at home on their hands watching TV while the real opposition went out and did things. Either that, or they weren't there.

Anyway, I was talking about political power. It's true that there wasn't a fullscale purge of Communists in top positions, but that didn't happen anywhere except possibly East Germany - and only because West German "experts" came and took their jobs. Heck, even West Germany used Nazi knowledge to reconstruct their country, so why not Poland?

History / Recent Lech Walesa interview made by VBS [30]


What, you mean you didn't watch the assaults on the police outside the Presidential Palace? Are you really so out of touch?


Whoever said I was a PO supporter? It's not looking particularly likely that they'll get my vote next month...

And yes, I think the government was weak over the cross issue. It said quite clearly that anyone wishing to cause similar trouble just has to violently resist the police and they'll back down. Certainly, it encourages the Solidarity thugs next time they want to protest about having to actually work for a living.


Well, the propoganda said that Walesa and Solidarity were nothing but criminals and thugs. We can now see that both sides - Walesa and Kaczynski have both indulged in thuggery of varying degree - both written and physical. Funny how they were proved right, isn't it? Makes me wonder just who the real bad guys were - and confirms that neither Walesa nor Kaczynski ever wanted real freedom. Heck, Walesa's actions as President plus Jarek's actions as Prime Minister suggest that both of them very much were in the same vein as the Communists.


The thing I can't understand is why people are so hung up about what he might or might not have done. He lost his support because he was a dreadful President - apart from ensuring that Poland didn't go back to Communism (though all fears of that went after August 24th 1991), he was really a poor President - and there were some very real fears in the Western media that he was going to seize power in Poland.

Even respectable authors have pointed out that his behaviour in Solidarity was nothing short of dictatorial - and this is why I cannot for the life of me understand why his opponents are choosing an alleged collaboration (that cannot be proved one way or another) to beat him with when there's much more verifiable information to use against him.


Of course. I don't think anyone actually denies that the Communists managed to exit with a very good deal. But at the time, what was on the table? The vast majority of Solidarity members supported it, the people supported it - it was a damn good deal given the circumstances.

We know now that it was foolish to share power when they could simply have waited a few more months for it all to collapse, but at the same time - no-one died, no-one was hurt - power was transferred peacefully and decisively. Would you really have wanted a Romanian solution?

History / Recent Lech Walesa interview made by VBS [30]

Dunno, you might want to tell me why the rabid PiS supporters were allowed to assault the police in Warsaw recently.

Looks to me like both sides are nothing more than common thugs - exactly what the Communists said they were.

History / Polish martyrology during WW2 - today`s monuments [54]


Poland struggles badly with this, even today. It's nearly impossible to find a Pole that will admit to some of the things that they did in Galicia towards the Ukrainians - and you will almost certainly never hear the Lwow progorm admitted.

History / Recent Lech Walesa interview made by VBS [30]

It's funny how this nonsense is mostly spouted by those who weren't there.

Anyway, choosing the nastiest communist to protect you isn't a bad idea - when you need protected, you need someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to succeed.

It's funny how one of the strongest supporters of the "Walesa is a traitor" theory just so happened to be protected by his traitor of a father.

News / Smoking ban in Polish bars and restaurants (AT LAST!) [400]


Idiotic caveats, at that.

They should just have had the balls to ban it completely - a compromise like this doesn't protect the workers (which is the point of such a ban, right?) at all!

And 100sqm is bigger than many pubs in Poland!

Work / Residence Permit for an Australian in Poland. Applying for another one.. [41]


Yup, the UK is outside Schengen - but (unfortunately) - another word of warning. If you're banned from the Schengen zone, they will stamp the "ban" in your passport. They don't do this in every case, but if they do - you will find it difficult to enter the UK. The UK does tend to follow Schengen decisions in this respect - and they will also ask for proof of why you're there and (worse) - proof of funds.

I'd suggest going to Romania or Bulgaria, but both of those are joining Schengen next year. The other friendly country - Ukraine - requires visas for Aussies.

Tough situation :(

Work / English teacher from Turkey, have any chance to work in Poland? [71]

It's actually one of the weirdest things for me - schools hire inexperienced, unqualified natives - and then get surprised that the teacher finds it hard going.

Work / English teacher from Turkey, have any chance to work in Poland? [71]

Don't worry, it made me laugh as well :D

I think I know who it was as well ;)

Law / Urząd Skarbowy, I paid too little on my last PIT? [26]


Yup, it's not perfect - but still a damn sight better than the UK's approach where no-one will actually give you binding advice whatsoever.

Work / Residence Permit for an Australian in Poland. Applying for another one.. [41]

It is probably accurate to say that if you spend enough money on a lawyer, you can tie them up in enough paperwork and trouble for a decent amount of time. But the cost of that could be horrific.


Likewise - it seems to be the standard punishment where it's just a clear cut case of not having the work permit/residency card. I just wonder what chance she has of pleading ignorance - the problem is that the Straz Graniczna have highlighted problems with her address.

It's impossible to advise really - apart from that she needs a lawyer who knows his stuff - and maybe someone connected to the office as well.


Hmm - it depends how they do it. Either way, it could be costly and with no guarantee of a positive result - because the "facts" aren't disputed. My gut feeling is that you should try and be as open and honest as possible - but I fear that they will just say "it's your obligation, not ours".

What may happen is that they will simply deny your renewal of the residence permit and you'll have 90 days from the expiry date to either apply for a new one or leave. I suspect they may not want to go to the trouble of formally banning you - but who knows?


Nonsense. They may stick Chechens in holding areas prior to deporting, but no-one is going to go to prison for this offence - kicking you out is much easier!


I would make sure that they're aware of this at the interview - it still doesn't excuse you, but it might just encourage them to slap you with a fine rather than kicking you out.

Work / Residence Permit for an Australian in Poland. Applying for another one.. [41]


A lot of personal experience, a lot of contacts and the law itself. A mixture, really :) I'm also on fairly good terms with the people in the Poznan Foreigners Office, so I know how they deal with certain things.

The thing that worries me about you is that you've admitted working without a work permit - how they'll react to this is a big question. What I suggest is that the person who goes in with you should know the law inside out regarding residency and work permits - and be prepared for the worst (deportation).

Which voivodeship do you live in?

Work / Residence Permit for an Australian in Poland. Applying for another one.. [41]


That's not how it works in Poland - and to suggest so is misleading at best.

The work permit/residence card issue is dealt with in a very uniform way in Poland - comply or face deportation and a year's ban from the Schengen zone. Paying taxes means nothing, nor does good faith - it is your obligation to comply with immigration and work restrictions, not theirs. When the Straż Graniczna gets involved, there's usually no negotiation - because when it's serious enough for them to intervene, deportation usually follows.

If anything, Poland is much tougher on non-EU immigrants than most EU countries. But hey, I suppose some anonymous guest poster knows best, huh? ;)

Work / Residence Permit for an Australian in Poland. Applying for another one.. [41]

To be blunt - you're in a bit of bother here. I'm tired, but I'll try to explain.


No. You can only work for schools that have acquired a work permit for you - unless they are approved by the Ministry of Education. This is treated very, very seriously - if you're caught, the usual punishment is deportation. It's important to separate the residence permit from the work permit - one allows you to stay, one allows you to work (for that particular company).


I would strongly advise you to take an English speaking lawyer - there is a very good chance that they've already figured out that you were working illegally. The border police not being able to find you isn't so serious - but the work permit issue definitely is. Having said this - they could use the border police findings as a reason to deny your new residence permit, without getting into the technicalities of you working illegally.

The fact that they want to interview you under oath suggests that this is quite a serious affair and much more serious than the normal interviews there.


1) Uh-oh is all I can say. You really, really must get a lawyer - the fact that they already know about you working illegally means that you're going to be, quite frankly, in the ****.

2) On the DL? I don't understand. In regards to not living there - mostly, they don't care in Poland - but as I said above, it might be used against you to make the case for deportation/refusal of the residence permit.

Sorry that it's not the news you want to hear - but I think that you really are in a tough situation here.

If you want, you can e-mail me at office@lindenia. and we can talk about it privately :)

Law / Urząd Skarbowy, I paid too little on my last PIT? [26]

Indeed - the UK system has no equal (as far as I know?) to the system in Poland where you can get an official decision from them. I remember attending one tax course with an inspector - he made it very clear that even if HMRC advises you to do something, an inspector can still have a different opinion and punish you accordingly.

I'd say that dealing with the Polish tax office is, on the whole, far easier than dealing with HMRC's telephone monkeys.

UK, Ireland / The more subtle differences: Ireland/Britain v Poland [310]


It saves electricity and the environment. In short, you're a bit of a nob if you leave the lights on everywhere - they don't need to be on if you're not in the room!

Travel / Flying in Poland information [9]


Go on, explain this to us :)

Genealogy / Half-Polish. How to obtain a dual nationality quickly? [15]

Why do you need it?

Travel / Visa to Poland (stay more than 90 days in Poland) [45]


If she only declared to the US authorities, then she's still a Polish citizen and can simply come to Poland and apply for an ID card (dowod osobisty) here. In this case, it's a formality and should be in her hand within a couple of weeks.

If she did renounce it formally to the PRL authorities, then it's more complicated - but my feeling is that as the daughter of a Polish citizen, she should be able to reclaim it rather easily too.

As I've said before - I'm not sure that Poland will even issue a visa, especially given the law that anyone that can be claimed as a Polish national must enter/exit on Polish documents.


The issue is clear cut - either she has Polish citizenship or she doesn't. You don't need to be Polish or American to figure this out - in fact, Polish citizenship law is really rather simple.


It doesn't permit it, but it doesn't ban it either. The legal situation is rather vague - which is why foreign nationals must make a declaration of renouncation to the American authorities.


But anyone who can be claimed as a Polish citizen can very easily reclaim any citizenship unless they're affected by the various nationality laws - and this woman clearly isn't.


Hahahaa. That's why they work in the town hall and not for the border guards.

You cannot *reset* the 90 days by any other means than by staying outside of the Schengen zone. You've got 90 days in every 180 days - use them wisely!

Travel / Visa to Poland (stay more than 90 days in Poland) [45]


Wow - I'd be interested to know why she did that - was it a condition of getting to leave Poland? But check carefully - she may not have actually done this, but rather simply declared to the US that she did so. There is a difference - Poland won't recognise a renouncation made to the US.

Anyway, the easiest way is simply to apply through the Polish embassy. She will need to apply for a long term Polish visa - category D, and I advise her to gather as much documentation as possible - such as proof of income (for a 6 month stay, I'd recommend that she shows at least 12000zl, or $4000), return flight tickets, doctors notes, etc - basically, make the case as watertight as possible so that they don't refuse her.

I don't have time right now to check thoroughly, sorry - but I wonder if she simply can't apply for a Polish ID card regardless? As far as I understand it, she should be able to simply reclaim it without too much fuss in Poland.

Travel / Visa to Poland (stay more than 90 days in Poland) [45]

richw.org/dualcit/faq.html#noway


Nuff said. However, it's likely that it was never recognised by Poland, unless she was actually stripped of citizenship by the PRL - and even then, it would seem unlikely that it would be recognised by the present Polish state unless it fell under one of the various acts - which it wouldn't, as she left in the 80's.