Law / Poland's ZUS/NFZ payments for businesses [27]

Remove or increase the cap on the employers ZUS - it wouldnt hit that many people and those who were hit would not be that price sensitive.

Raise the employees ZUS a couple of percent so that in zloty terms they pay a bit more and bring them closer to the amount paid by self employed (employees are more likely to use the system)

Reduce the fixed ZUS rate but be more strict about petrol and cars claimed for business use - i dont think i know a single person who is honest about it.

UK, Ireland / No Poles Allowed! - Latest Polonophobic Outrage Out of Britain [660]

Spiritus one of the weird quirks of the Brexit vote is that about a third of Indian and Pakistani voters chose leave - one reason for that is a promise that once the Poles and Romanians stopped coming it would be easier for their cousins to immigrate to the UK

I agree that there is definitely a bit of anti Polish feeling ib the UK - it is mainly resentment about wages and job openings - people know poles are more easily assimilated and are hard working but that doesn't help a low wage british person.

UK, Ireland / No Poles Allowed! - Latest Polonophobic Outrage Out of Britain [660]

Dirk last weeks GDP numbers fir the UK were shocking - GDP per hsad is now fallling. The pound is also falling. The UK govts lack of planning and uncertainty is now having a major effect. Time will tell indeed but Brexit has paralysed politics and that alone is very costly.

I think the end result will be more educated Poles with no family ties to Britain might either return honw or look to other natkets like Germany

Love / How do we know that Polish guys really serious in their relationship? [16]

How is he sweet and nice if he doesnt even ask if you are feeling better ? Saying hes not a doctor is weird and definitely not Polish

UK, Ireland / No Poles Allowed! - Latest Polonophobic Outrage Out of Britain [660]

I think the only place in Europe with gdp less than inflation is Britain - Not really to do with the welfare state, more to do with high inflation following the pounds slide after Brexit And GDP falling due to uncertainty about Brexit ( or the weather which is a government!)

UK, Ireland / No Poles Allowed! - Latest Polonophobic Outrage Out of Britain [660]

Thats not correct - there are huge numbers of Irish in the UK, long Established communities of Spanish Italian and Portuguese, hundreds of thousands of French and Germans. Cypriots, Maltese and Greeks that have been there since the 60s et cetera

The issue with the poles is that apart from a smallish population that came in the late 40s,they all came at the same time and thus were more visible especially in the effect on the labour market.

Work / Diary of a Teacher in Poland [181]

Maybe because living in the Uk costs twice as much ?

News / Poland, The Starbucks report. [42]

Well we have found something we all agree on :)) so maybe Starbucks is good for society

I think long majowkas are perfect whatever your poliitics :))

News / Poland, The Starbucks report. [42]

Pozegnanie was Ok - a bit small and like a lot of Polish places of that era not enough toilets (a problem when you are selling a diuretic).

DD is back in Poland after a long absence ! I like them but they are mainly stand up counters - there is one in Galeria Polmoc and another at Centralna.

As to Starbucks, Costa and Green Coffee my issue is not with the idea of sitting in a coffee shop. More it's the service - you might have 15 minutes to get a coffee but you have to stand in line and wait for them to make it for 10 minutes, so your well deserved coffee break becomes a hassle. They never have enough staff, never have the right change in the cash register and the product is extremely overpriced - a coffee and a cookie can easily go north of 20 zloty. The sandwiches are horrible - lots of cheap bread and not enough filling.

Work / Security/Defence Analyst/Consultancy work in Poland [5]

Well call those guys and ask them - without Polish it might be tough but start off with your existing contacts as you are obviously smart.

News / Poland, The Starbucks report. [42]

You got the right idea Joker - it's a choice to go there not compulsory. 13 zloty for lukewarm coffee plus the privelage of waiting 10 minutes in line to get it. The food is horrible - sweet and greasy. No interaction with other people

Travel / Unlocked cell phone & SIM requirements for use in Poland / Europe [7]

If you buy a prepaid number here then you need to get that activated - you will need to go to a shop with your passport and they will register you. It is best to get them to activate it in the shop as well and test that it is working before you leave the shop. Whole process can take maybe half hour as there are often queues.

Not sure which shops do the registration - definitely the cell phone operators own stores which are in pretty much every big mall. possibly also some of the newsagents like in Medio or Kolporter though i know a few of them quit doung that because of the queues/hassle.

News / Poland's PiS government falls into its own trap on the issue of disabled children [12]

I think he is a generally sensible person who has his own views - not merely support one side or the other.

This tax is dumb and it is becoming clear that Morawiecki is not very astute. I don't think he was really running the bank, more that he wa a figurehead for Santander to avoid political grief. Per se I don't think increased tax is a bad idea as taxes are pretty low but it should be done in a structured way and not written on the back of an envelope. I would have no problem with higher taxes if I though the govt was going to spend them wisely and not on pork for all the people that support them.

Law / Climate change/environmental businesses or NGOs in Poland [66]

Go ahead then - its a free country.

UK, Ireland / Mixed feelings after moving from Poland to England [36]

When I was younger I moved back to U.K. after living in the US and found it quite difficult. It has three main problems- it is crowded and this properties are cramped, it is expensive and to get on in a career you often need to be in London.

I think for you one of the main problems is that you are married but you are living in a shared flat - that's not the way things should be! Find a way to fix that so you can properly start your married life and get some time to yourselves and other problems might also improve.

The other thing to do is focus on some of the things that are advantage about Britain - you can get quite quickly and cheaply to the seaside or to beautiful countryside or wonderful old towns. It has very good culture and in some things like music, museums, watching football, shopping etc it is the best place in Europe. I also think the people are great and can be very genuine and helpful.

Agree with most of your cons except the one about garbage - one thing I dislike about Poland is the huge litter problem, and Poles seem to think nothing of strewing the forests and beaches with their trash.

Asked to the sense of uncertainty about the future in Britain - that's not going to go away, in fact it's obviously going to get worse. Brexit is going to bring a lot of economic difficulties and it'll take decades for the divisions created by the process to heal.

Put your tin hat on now,- once the Americans wake up they will start to make this a discussion about Muslim migration, cucks and the mainstream media.

Travel / Białowieża National Park in Poland [461]

Given that they turned up in court to defend themselves, that would indicate that the government accepts that the EU has some jurisdiction in this matter.

Driving round Poland on the last few months I am appalled by the amount of deforestation that I have seen both swathes of woodland and trees next to the road being cut down. Anybody Have some reliable info about how many trees have been affected in this way?

News / Officials in Poland are hailing an upcoming visit by Donald Trump [720]

Yeah right - what politician could possibly care about an ethnic group concentrated in small electorally unimportant states like Pennsylvania, Ohio or Michigan. It's to as if those places have mattered much in recent years.

George W made a point of taking Kwasniewski out to those places. Trump also dropped in on the Popes during his run and promised visa free access among other things.

Real Estate / Real Estate Lawyer costs in Poland [18]

Given that its Milanowek i would make triple sure there are no restitution claims from pre war - it was the playground of Warsaws rich in those days so precisely the kind of town affected. You only need to google the number of ambulance chasers involved in this business now to see its still a live issue.

If you are British then also consider your property rights after Brexit - no deal done yet and a worst case but very possible scenario is that Brits end up lumped with all othet non EU foreigners needing permission to own land (if its just a flat then no problem)

Real Estate / Real Estate Lawyer costs in Poland [18]

Ok fair enough, prices for those guys start around 300 zloty an hour so ot depends on your budget- but you are unlikeky to get an english language opinion from a local lawyer.

As well as ownership really check the easements on an old property - these are often in a chaotic state in Poland at the monent and can cause years of grief

Real Estate / Real Estate Lawyer costs in Poland [18]

chambersandpartners.com/guide/europe/7

A guide to help you find a lawyer in different fields.

Real Estate / Real Estate Lawyer costs in Poland [18]

Best to just use Chambers.
What are you buying ? A big deal or a single house ?

Unfortunately with Warsaw lawyers its supply and demand and english speakers might give you a high quote for small jobs because they have plenty of other stuff on.

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]

You are allowed penknives if you want to open a box. You are not permitted to carry bigger ones unless you have a good reason. Good reason is decided by a judge.

All fairly simple to understand though it does not make for racy headlines.

My guess is that Muslims are proportionately less likely to be involved in these stabbings, many of which are in bars and in arguments about girls. Much of the current wave of violence is among Jamaican and Africans.

News / "It's too late for Germany" (but not for Poland) [1798]

It is natural but an uncomfortable fact for people like you is that those who are more open to other cultures and races become better educated, richer and provide more opportunities for their kids.

Law / Poland's Inheritance Law Without Will [21]

The simple way is for you to buy it from your Grandad. He can then leave the resulting cash to his kids and your aunties debts could be paid off. Also this way you would probably save tax though depends on the details.

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]

Dunno - certainly the
individuals and their parents have a lot to answer for. Not sure I agree that they don't have any life chances - they get a free education, live in one of the richest cities in the world, it's low unemployment at the moment and has been for quite a long time, there is unrivalled culture on their doorsteps. It's certainly more than your average kid in Poland has.

Law / Investment advice - my options in Poland? [50]

I'm not talking about landscaping - just basic stuff like clearing weeds, building decking, making a plot clear for a garden etc. Whenever I want that kind of service it takes a week to find anyone and another 2 weeks for them to arrive. Home ownership is increasing and many Poles are having gardens for the first time.

If I want a kebab or an ice cream or a coffee shop I can think of at least 10 options for each within 20 minutes drive. So you would need to give a reason to visit your place and not the others.

Gardening is just an example - there are probably many other manual trades which are in high demand right now. As I said all you really need is a second hand Navarra and a few tools and a laptop and phone plus a few workers. Fitting out a food place will cost you at least 1000 zloty per sqm and probably more if you do it properly.

News / Thousands of Polish women attend Czarny Piątek rally in Warsaw [780]

You doing your bit Rudy ? Did you find a nice girl yet to bear you six kids ? Its Sunday so why arent you either out in the park with your kids or in bed with your wife working on number 7 ?

Law / Investment advice - my options in Poland? [50]

Honest opinion - for that money buy some kind of truck, a bunch of gardening tools, learn something about gardens or driveways or decking and do that. There is more and more demand for this, less and less people on the market, and if it does not work out you can easily sell the truck on the tools and try something else.

All The other businesses that you have suggested have high fixed costs, quite high competition, a lot of tax and regulation, and very seasonal..

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]

The people of Britain can vote for that if they think it is a good idea. Honestly I do not think you would find a single British MP, police officer for any mayor or local officiial who would support that view.

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]

Wulkan the maths is clear - in CBOS poll only 11 percent of Polish citizen supported liberalisation of the gun laws.

Given that the same organisation often publishes polls that show support for the ruling party at between 40 and 50% that means that at least 75% of PiS voters support gun control - And that's no surprise, they are conservative people who like to look after their families and live in a safe place.