Der Spiegel: "Poles are now the masters of Europe"

There are few such success stories as Poland's history after the change of it's regime - writes German weekly "Der Spiegel", which in the latest issue published an extensive article about Poland before Euro 2012, entitled "the miracle in the neighborhood."

According to "Der Spiegel" the symbol of the changes that took place in Poland, may be the National Stadium in Warsaw. "Built out of ruins and looking toward the future it is more than a building structure. It is a symbol. Through this superstadium Poland would like to show the world her new face, to prove that it has overcome the shadows of the past: the crimes of the Nazis, communist oppression and random time transformation of capitalism" - writes the weekly.

"Poles are now the masters of Europe"

Recalling the good economic indicators of Poland, "Spiegel" estimates, "Whatever falls out of Euro 2012, the Poles are already champions of Europe in terms of growth rates over the past decade."

"A country that sees itself as a pioneer and model for the east. Wants to be a force in Europe, wants to be for Europe and take it's place which it has always considered to be suitable for itself. We're back to being a somebody - it is said in Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw and Krakow - a change that seems to be familiar to every German "- he added.

"Exemplary student and a naughty boy"

According to "Der Spiegel" the success of transformation in Poland is most evident when one compares it to other Eastern bloc countries - "for example, the authoritarian-ruled and plagued by human rights violations of Ukraine, the second co-host the European football championships." "Exemplary student and a naughty boy" - he writes, "Spiegel" of the two countries.

"Amazing" is according to "Der Spiegel" one more thing: "The beginning of the end of the longstanding hostility" between the Poles and the Germans, who can get close to one another, as has Germany and France done in recent decades - even though many residents on both sides of the Oder still think of one another in terms of the old stereotypes.

"Promised Land"

Weekly estimates also that "Ukraine has become to Poland what Poland was once to Germany." "Just as Berlin played the role of a generous advocate of Warsaw, now Warsaw is an advocate of good will for Kiev. Unfortunately, after the Orange Revolution, Ukraine is not necessarily the official wishes to continue to go to the West" - says "Spiegel".

"But people vote with their feet. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians living more or less permanently in Poland, the use of employment opportunities for low-wage sector (...). Many of those who return from Poland to the Ukraine believe that they had seen the promised land, clean, efficient and focused on the future "- writes the weekly.

Merge with this? - https://polishforums.com/news/poland-economy-booming-success-story-53022/12/

Yes, and all should take as a face value what some foreign newspaper claims ?

Few such stories of wasted opportunities.

Never take at face value anything good said about the Polish Economy.

Foreigners on PolishForums know better. Apparently.

^You may have a point but if you look at the want ads on Polish sites, there are an incredible number of ads promising work at "prestigious international" firms who all seem to be looking for people who can speak 3 languages but, for some odd reason, they only seem to be interested in students....I wonder why that is?

If the face of the new Polish economy is indentured servitude for a pittance with no security then I'm not impressed.

The key word is "if."

Masters of Europe? my ass! Poland is and remains a FAILED STATE

Do you seriously believe those lies? Poland is a hellhole, grayish and dirty full of people with an inferiority complex who like to imagine the utopia of Poland achieving something in the world, since Poland has never and will never achieve anything. Poland is a geographic failure.

OK, agree with that 1 but c'mon man, it ain't really as bad bad as you say it is. Poland has its good sides too.

Poland is Europe's future!

is it?

Please explain this concept. What is a geographic failure? How has Poland's geography failed????

Poland is a great success in terms of the ongoing changes, however EU countries are in trouble and many other former Eastern European countries have not succeeded as much as Poland has.

In such a company Poland is a success indeed. One has to be realistic and see that it is not all that great for the average Joe.

one has to be realistic about it, as long as the "average Joe" doesn't feel any positive changes in his personal life, everything else, doesn't really mean that much at all. Besides, in nowadays world, no country can be entirely successful without the success of its business partners.

very true. "Masters of Europe" seems a bit much. However Poland is light-years ahead of its 1985 self.

Poland as a country, certainly made some progress but from what I know from my Polish friends, nothing has really changed for regular people (actually, what I was told recently, it even got worse).

Sounds like a wrong translation. I'd bet they said "Europe's (economic) champion".

Are Germans taking the **** ?


The only geographical failure is you, you will never achieve anything, the state will pay for your existence, take away oil and we have half-crazed poor farmers and hunters on the ass end of Europe.

By geographic failure he presumably means that we, Poles - or better say, our ancestors - had failed to position themselves someplace else in Europe than between Germany and Russia. But then, Russia did not exist yet, while Poland was separated from Germany by a large territory taken by the tribes commonly reffered to as Polabian Slavs, the territory which was roughly equal to the territory once occupied by the former Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR).

From that perspective, the UK's place in Europe might be seen as a "geographical sucess". Although the British Isles were regularly conquered until 1066, from that year on Britain has been spared further invasions which has undoubtfully helped the British not to develop an inferiority complex. The inferiority complex among Poles, a concept which is regularly raised by pawian6661 in his posts, is one that I particularly like to follow.

Your 'polish friends' are probably quite young and certainly have no clue about what life was like in Poland before 1990 ..

Not a price for an "inferiority complex" on the list above.

I think he's referring to his Norwegian superiority, the success of being born on a whole load of oil and natural resources. This make him and Norway a winner, obviously.

That article seems like baiting. It was written to manipulate the average German Josef Plumber into feeling resentment at having to take care of the PIIG nations of Europe while Poland hasn't such obligations thus is in the position to come out on top. Once Poland becomes leader, the pressure will be on to take care of lesser countries, just like with Germany today. Who knows, maybe one day Poland will bail out Germany? Chuckles

Not really. They told me about the unemployment and the rising prices in Poland, that's all. Did they "lie"? Even when I was in Poland (few years ago) I felt like almost everything was way too expensive, especially for the locals.

Do you think that through living in Norway he's developed such a strong superiority complex that he would be capable of shooting people on a small island from where they would have no chance to escape his bullets?

LOL You really have a way with words ".......on the ass-end of Europe" hahaha!

Nah. It's more like preparing the German taxpayer and voter for the Euro bonds - showing them that their money is (supposedly) well invested. As soon as the German socialists and Greens are elected, they will cave in to the demands of the other European players.

Probably true.


They must not remember the days of shortages in stores. Waiting 20 yrs on a list just to get an apartment, working for low wages and not being able to afford a car (any car) unless one was a manager or a director in a company. Or went to work abroad. (Germany, US, Libya, Iraq) and received western wages.

OK, but does it change anything about the fact that there are many unemployed people in Poland and that the prices are constantly rising?

Is this really what I think it is? German newspaper talking about "Polish nazi" past?

Looks like its a bad translation

.


I know, its hard saving up for a 42" plasma TV and PS3. The cost of Games and Blu-Rays are extortionate.

Still, at least you, unlike my grandmother, don't have to send begging letters to your son in England for blanket to keep warm in winter and Paracetamol to overcome the pain of being partially paralysed and bed-ridden