News / Poland GDP growth surprises on upside [35]

Your figures and your understanding are completely incorrect - public investment was 4 percent of GDP from 2000 onwards once accession had been decided, even before then soft loans from international institutions and credit guarantees for shareholdings in Polish banks helped prop up the economy and get private business going.

My guess is you were at primary school when this was happening. The Polish people obviously take huge credit for their acceptance of difficult reforms and hard work but they could not have done it without support of the West - both political and financial. The strong political power of US Polonia was very helpful in this process by the way.

Real Estate / Termination of fixed term renting contracts-residential in Poland [26]

Private debts cannot be enforced at traffic stops or border crossings. As a taxpayer here I don't ever want police and border guards wasting time on that - their job is to make us safer. There is separate komornik system for private debts.

You can get stopped at the border for speeding fines, fare dodging and other criminal stuff but it's very rare. ,

News / Poland GDP growth surprises on upside [35]

There were substantial EU funds before 2004 as well as EBRD, IMF and World Bank support.

Without doubt much of the investment between 1997 and 2004 was driven by the stability provided by pending NATO and EU membership.

Of course there was high growth in the 90s - the economy was in ruins and could only get better

Real Estate / Termination of fixed term renting contracts-residential in Poland [26]

Of course - and there are worse problems in the world than having an empty second home. In time these things will work themselves out

Real Estate / Termination of fixed term renting contracts-residential in Poland [26]

He can get his judgement , sell it to a debt collector etc but that is not a Christian way to behave - this guy has lost his job through no fault of his own and has no money. He needs to make a new start.

I have a couple of apartments myself, not a professional landlord but I see the difficulty here - the courts are not open, lawyers are not working, listy polecone are not being collected, debt collectors are busy and not going to bother taking on a few thousand zloty debt from someone who is already abroad. My own view would be to shrug my shoulders and start looking for a new tenant.

Real Estate / Termination of fixed term renting contracts-residential in Poland [26]

Legally he can't but as I said earlier this is not the time for contracts and lawyers. So if he changes the locks or turns up with a couple of guys and throws your stuff on the street then the police or the Straz have no bandwidth to deal with that at the moment.

There are two important facts on the ground - your deposit is in his bank account, you have no means to pay ongoing rent. Given that the cleanest exit is to forget about your deposit.

You are leaving him with a problem of an empty flat and a credit to pay - show some empathy for the guy and forget about your few hundred zloty.

Real Estate / Termination of fixed term renting contracts-residential in Poland [26]

Not much - you can ask the guy and see if you negotiate but I doubt you will get it back

Real Estate / Termination of fixed term renting contracts-residential in Poland [26]

Just forget about your kaucja and leave when you feel like it. He won't follow it up - but just be a decent person and leave it clean and tidy.

Or accept the guys offer.

But make sure you can cross the border before you leave.

No the things you mention are not reasons to break a contract. But this is not a time when contracts and lawyers mean much - if you have no job then you can't pay rent and that is obvious.

Life / Price of cigarettes in Poland? [192]

The border was already closed 5 weeks ago when you made your order.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2222]

Legalizing and taxing weed might help fund some of their other kielbasa.

Their latest wheeze about 1000 zloty for a holiday is so badly thought out - probably cooked up over a late night vodka session. Workers already get paid holiday from their employers !

Life / A shop where I can buy washing up gloves in size XL in Poland? [4]

Maybe Hendi ?

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2222]

I just read that next week the miners are also going to protest - that is bad news as PiS has spent 4 years protecting them. Also a bit worried about them bringing covid back to Warsaw !

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2222]

They will probably promise more money as you suggest - though the number of people able to find these promises has just been shrunk by the crisis. You

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2222]

Why do you think I care about that ? I'm not really a P.O. voter and I have been drunk and collapsed in the street a few times myself.

What I do find truly disgusting is that desperate friendless peole like you are paid to troll small forums like this. Where is your self respect ? It's Friday night - I know the cinemas are shut but take your girlfriend for a walk in the park instead of hanging out here being childish.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2222]

I cant imagine these guys working late - unless there is some urgent dodgy legislation to pass I think they are all back home in their subsidized accommodation by 5.30.

Life / A Third of Poland has declared itself to be an official "LGBT - Free Zone". [20]

You have children here ? Your are free to cote on what the children of Michigan can read.

News / Poles say a big YES to our European Union [996]

The US and U.K. at the moment are perfect examples of how not to run a country. It will be years before people are asking them for expertise again

They voted for clowns and now they have a circus.

On a broader point how confident are you about Brexit now ? It will be 3x as chaotic as this virus fiasco. The thought that Poland or other countries will follow this example is ludicrous

Life / A Third of Poland has declared itself to be an official "LGBT - Free Zone". [20]

If you want to talk about no go zones try persuading a European to get on a plane for a holiday in Chicago right now.

Wrigley field, Sears Tower, Blues, Deep Pan and viral pneumonia

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2222]

The route out of this probably means ditching both PiS and PO.

interesting that in our house the votes will be split 1 for WKK, 2 for Szymon, 1 for Bosak. My PiS voting mother in law thinks Bosak is at least a kind of honest man, unlike Duda.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2222]

Very classy - I thought all your PiS guys were devout and wanted to go back to traditional values.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2222]

I don't know if that is true or not but even if it was then if he were a man he would just tell his wife he screwed someone else. Probably he would have a month of sleeping in the couch and have to buy some jewellery but then it would be over and done with.

Acting as someone else's puppet for 5 years seems a high price to pay for a brief indiscretion.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2222]

Duda is a disgrace - what is weird is that in 5 years he has not grown into the job at all - he is still like a kid, in a typical Polish business he wouldn't get a second interview for an admin job,

I'm probably voting for WKK. In the meantime I will be covering any Duda posters I see with a printout of JK since Duda hasn't bothered to voice any of his own opinions since about 2017.

News / Poles say a big YES to our European Union [996]

I think I preferred it when Polonius was around - at least he tried to justify what PiS were doing, not just harp on about things that happened 10 years ago

It's possible to be appalled by PiS but not to have any love for PO either

News / Poles say a big YES to our European Union [996]

That is not the EUs role - it has a small budget and is definitely not responsible for public health. There are many reasons to belong to it starting. with helping preserve peace, trade and opportunities for business, agriculture, tech, and a common labor market.

Italy has had a bad time but it is a big rich country that has been mismanaged but still a world leader in many industries and with significant political power . It's not a charity case and can work out its own problems.

News / Poles say a big YES to our European Union [996]

But the quarantine and the Coronavirus is not the fault of private banks. Why is it their responsibility to lend to countries who can't pay it back ?

News / Poles say a big YES to our European Union [996]

They can only borrow money if people will lend it to them. Deficits are possible but can't be created from thin air - without capitalist markets for debt then deficits are impossible.

Lending comes with conditions - usually ones that ensure the money will paid back.

Poland is still able to borrow money, many countries will find it very tough.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2222]

Honestly I doubt it - unless we have Italian levels of deaths then that's it - people will not go back inside. The kids are at it like rabbits already after being apart for two months

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2222]

Who can declare a state of emergency ?

You mean a state of emergency about their virus or one about the elections ? Because if it's about the virus you will not get people back into their houses now they have been let out and are shopping, exercising and working again.

USA, Canada / Poles Living in the Chicago Area [343]

Good luck to them and I hope all you guys in Chicago stay safe ! It will be a few more weeks before this clears up

Treat those medics to a curbside pickup from the Red Apple when this has finished.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2222]

I thought Adrian's appeal that rich people should not claim 500 plus was bizarre. I would quite happily go down to say 100 zloty or some token amount if everybody got a reduction to 400 zloty - that would be genuine solidarity

I just can't see the postal election working - I pity the postmen - do I have to wear a mask in my own front yard when I sign for the papers ?