The Warsaw Voice, Summer, 2024

Think of Surfing Think of Poland Page 16

Work on next year’s budget is starting Page 10

Third round win

The Donald Tusk-led Civic Coalition won the European elections, continuing the series of successes of the fall parliamentary elections and spring local elections Page 3

Table of contents

POLITICS AND SOCIETY

The European Option Has Won 3-9

ECONOMY

Budget for 2025 10-11

Mayor Shipowners Fight for Gdańsk 12-13

REAL ESTATE

Warehouse and Industrial Stock Grows at Less Than 10% 14-15

LEISURE AND SPORTS

Think of Surfing - Think of Poland 16-17

BUTIK | 18-19

THE BUZZ | 20-29

Sound Zone at Asia and Pacific Museum

Total Immersion in Klimt’s world

An Icon of Polish Design

Women who illuminated Warsaw in the last century

Revisiting Emotional Response to Art American pop superstar to play three gigs in Warsaw Jazz Around Festival comes to Warsaw

Schmidt International Sextet plays Komeda Surrealist trend in Polish art of the twentieth century

Without Electricity, Against the Trend

Poland’s Economic Credibility Still Low Mercedes-Benz Record Sales Growth Orlen to Double the Amount of Gas from Norway HRG Continues its Expansion

Polish Ready Meals Factory Changes Ownership Multimillion Compensation for the Polish Post Office

Poland Needs to Tighten Monetary Policy

Astara Appoints New Head in Poland

Published by WV Marketing Sp. z o.o.

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Cover photo: PAP/ITAR-TASS

THE EUROPEAN OPTION HAS WON

Professor Andrzej Rychard , director of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at the Polish Academy of Sciences, talks to Witold Żygulski .

TThe first exit polls indicated a 4.5% lead for the ruling Civic Coalition (KO) over the former ruling United Right, but the next day’s official results showed a KO lead of only 0.9%. The junior coalitionists Third Way [an electoral alliance of the agrarian Polish People’s Party (PSL) and Poland 2050] and the Left suffered a severe defeat. So who really won the European elections on June 9? It was won by the Civic Coalition, if only because the Law and Justice (PiS) suffered a defeat, however symbolic, by one seat, ending a series of electoral victories begun in 2015. It’s not like we can talk about a tie. The elections to the European Parliament were won by the democratic, pro-European camp. The change of power that occurred in Poland after the parliamentary elections on October 15, 2023 was once again

(after the local elections) upheld at the ballot box.

On the Polish political scene, did these elections change something, did they signal something new, did they show some new conflicts, frictions, threats or hopes?

Yes, the European elections were an important signal for the ruling coalition. Its dominant force became even more the Civic Platform (PO). The elections were also evidence that the process of erosion we are facing in the United Right political camp continues. They were also a signal to PiS’s political rival, once understood as a potential coalition partner in the right-wing governing arrangement - the radical-nationalist Confederation - that the party is growing in strength.

This, by the way, is a reflection of the general European trend shown by the results of the EP elections - in almost all EU member states a serious increase in support was recorded by the radical right. Although the anti-populist current won overall, the European People’s Party still dominates the European Parliament, it is impossible to ignore the signal that another political force is lurking around the corner. This was evident in the case of the Confederation or the German AfD, not to mention France, where the result of Marine Le Pen’s National Front forced President Emanuel Macron to dissolve parliament and call new elections.

Finally, the elections in Poland have become a clear wakeup call for junior coalitionists. The Third Way got a clear message from the electorate that its strategy so far of being simultaneously in government and somewhat in opposition to it was judged unequivocally incoherent. One cannot simultaneously criticize the polarization of the political scene while being part of this polarized arrangement. The Third Way tried to portray itself as a party of compromise, but as Prime Minister Donald Tusk rightly put it, one cannot talk about a compromise between East and West, between evil and good. This was not perceived as an understandable strategy, and the voters showed it.

The Left also received an important signal. For a long time, this grouping has had a serious problem with its expressiveness. It can be said that the Left in general, on a European scale, is today falling victim to its own success; the slogans it has been preaching for decades have been adopted by the political mainstream. What the Left treated as part of its identity, such as the rights of sexual minorities, is now a normal, common element of civilized politics. The same

has happened with slogans such as welfare state, concern for workers, etc. No one questions this anymore. Socio-economically, in terms of morals and worldview, the Left has lost its identity. And in order to promote and implement slogans that used to be leftist, one no longer needs a leftist political party. This is the signal the Left should take away from the last election cycle.

You spoke about the Third Way’s troubles; what can this grouping do today to regain support and a good position in the ruling coalition? Isn’t the problem first and foremost that the two parties that make up the Third Way differ significantly on many important issues?

These two parties [PSL and Poland 2050] have basically only one thing in common: they are neither the Civic Coalition nor the Law and Justice. Everything else divides them. In the ruling October 15 Coalition, tensions between the Third Way and the Civic Coalition have been evident from the beginning, and now they are clearly compounded by internal tensions within the Third Way itself.

After the spectacular success in the October 15 parliamentary elections, the result obtained in the European elections would not give the Third Way a seat in the Polish parliament. As a coalition, it would have been bound by the 8% electoral threshold, and it obtained less than 7%. There are therefore reasons for alarm. Anything is possible today - there are already clear voices from some Poland 2050 politicians, as well as the PSL, that perhaps this political marriage is simply the wrong solution, that perhaps it is legitimate to choose a different political path. The future of both these groupings is very uncertain. I think it is more

Still Together? Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (left) and Szymon Hołownia

AFTER THE SPECTACULAR SUCCESS IN THE OCTOBER 15 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS, THE RESULT OBTAINED IN THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS WOULD NOT GIVE THE THIRD WAY A SEAT IN THE POLISH PARLIAMENT

likely that these parties will survive on their own, especially the PSL, which has had a strong local infrastructure for decades. Even when PSL doesn’t win in a region, its activists have been there for years in local power arrangements. Poland 2050 has it much harder, the party, as still a political newcomer, has not yet managed to establish field structures, so a relationship with the PSL is necessary and beneficial for it. If anyone has a better chance of survival on the Polish political scene, it is the PSL. Although it has lost quite a bit in the countryside to PiS, it is still treated as a desirable partner there. Even with the changes we are facing in the Polish countryside, where the number of farms making their living solely from agriculture has already dropped to

8-10%. PSL still has an addressee, albeit a diverse, hard-toreach one. Poland 2050 does not have such an addressee; it used to be the frustrated voter of Civic Platform, but the election result - and especially the electorate flows shown in the polls, which showed that a third of Third Way voters voted for KO - indicate that these voters are returning to old sympathies. The Platform won the parliamentary, local and European elections, returned to power after eight years in opposition, and its supporters no longer have reason for the aforementioned frustration. Of course, winning Sejm and Senate elections, as well as local elections became possible because of the votes for the Third Way and the Left - this allowed the formation of a new majority government - but today, after 8 months in new power, things look different. Poland 2050 does not have a stable electorate, and it is unclear whether it can win them over.

The PSL is still subject to pressure from the Law and Justice, whose politicians continue to tempt a possible alliance, even offering the Prime Minister’s portfolio to PSL leader Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. Poland 2050, on the other hand, is not mentioned at all in any alternative political arrangement. So what can these parties do to avoid becoming second-rate coalition partners in a governing arrangement? The PSL has had the ability to remain a junior coalitionist for many years without losing the political influence the party needs. It can be said that it has no “reflex of disgust” and is capable of playing the role of partner in very different configurations. It is not easily swallowed by a larger and stronger partner, and there is no sign that such a political position harms it. Although anything can happen on the Polish political scene, my imagination does not go so far as

More and more dominant: Donald Tusk (right) and Rafał Trzaskowski

to see it without PSL. So the party will rather find its place, especially since it has the ability, rare in the Polish political world, to tame the individual ambitions of its leaders in favor of the good of the group as a whole. I’m not sure that this can be said of Poland 2050, where the personal ambitions of its leader [current Speaker of the Sejm] Szymon Hołownia [primarily regarding the future presidency] will likely continue to push the party to demonstrate its separateness and independence. From its inception, Poland 2050 has been charging forward with the argument that Poles are fed up with the duopoly, the polarization of the political scene. Hence the argument about a “third way” to be chosen. But the election results by no means indicate that this argument has found understanding among the public.

The result of the European elections has significantly strengthened the position of the Civic Coalition and seriously weakened the position of the junior coalitionists; do you think Prime Minister Tusk will use this to make changes in the government, to deprive the Third Way and the Left of some of their influence?

THE LEFT MUST FIND BOTH A NEW MESSAGE AT THE GLOBAL, EUROPEAN AND BEYOND, AND AT THE STATE LEVEL

The view of a “third way” is particularly inaccurate in the current political situation in Europe and beyond. The state of security threats that occurred after the Russian aggression against Ukraine has caused societies, including Polish ones, to face a simple and obvious civilizational choice. Unequivocally taking the side of Western civilization, as the Civic Coalition has done, seems much clearer to the electorate than stories about “compromises,” “agreements” and a “third way”.

I very much hope that Donald Tusk is a skilled and experienced enough politician to tame the internal temptation to show the coalitionists where they belong. After all, the gains from such a political move would be far less than the image losses in the eyes of the Polish public, which hates quarrels within the ruling camp. For the people, it is a far greater good to effectively make the current coalition work than to clean it up as a result of the fact that the Third Way and the Left have actually been over-represented in the government since it was formed in relation to the electoral support it received. Accounting within one’s own political alignment makes no sense today - the priority must remain to systematically account for the United Right’s period in power, to show how much wrong has been done to the country by its 8 years of undivided rule.

Junior coalition partners, on the other hand, would be advised that their ministers who happily remain in their posts do something meaningful.

After another cold shower from the voters, does the Left in its current form have any future in Poland at all?

The Left has a chance to rebuild its political position and find a new place (although it won’t be a quick process) when it realizes the technological and civilization changes that are taking place in the modern world. The nature of work, automation, and what is somewhat exaggeratedly called artificial intelligence are changing the world. Threats to job security, to the security of personal freedoms are changing in fundamental ways. If, without falling into the recently emerging populism directed against AI, the

The Left election camp; another defeat

Left managed to show the inevitable changes, it still has a chance. If it can tell how artificial intelligence and automation are changing the nature of work and the risks to workers, changing the nature of the relationship between worker and employer, how all of this still looks new in the context of online functioning, then the Left could find its new place. Changing the nature of work, the nature of leisure, the nature of job security - all of these are niches, places where the Left should enter. The question is whether it can do so, name these transformations without succumbing to populists who maintain that AI will kill us all and throw us out on the street, or to enthusiasts who say that AI will do everything for us, that no one will have to work anymore. The Left must find its new message to the people. These are challenges beyond the local; the Left must find both a new message at the global, European and beyond, and at the state level.

The difficulty of this task for the Left also lies in the fact that, like PiS by the way, it has lost its image as a causal party; it had and has many great ideas, but as is ugly to say in the language of Polish politics today, they have not been “delivered.” Thus, on the one hand, it is necessary to intellectually embrace the new situation, and on the other hand, to translate these intellectual theories into effective political practice.

In light of these two things, the problem of leadership on the left side of the political scene should also naturally be resolved. It is now being said, erroneously, that the causes of the left’s crisis are a problem of leaders; in my opinion, this is confusing effects with causes. Older leaders, perhaps, are one of the causes of the left’s inability to adapt to new

conditions, but the primary, main cause is that the left needs to know why it exists.

The Polish left is undergoing a generational change; there are fewer and fewer politicians whose roots still go back to the days of the Polish United Workers’ Party [the communist party that ruled during the People’s Republic of Poland]. Among the new generation of the Left, do you see politicians who are capable of accomplishing what we are talking about - embracing the new reality?

No, I don’t. The person who has the greatest ability to understand problems and the potential for social sensitivity seems to me to be [current Deputy Senate Speaker] Magdalena Biejat. On the other hand, both [elected for a 2nd term to the EP co-chairman of the New Left] Robert Biedroń and [leader of the radical leftist Razem (Together)] Adrian Zandberg have failed, in my opinion, and have done nothing useful. Biedroń shone as Mayor of Słupsk, he shone when he entered big politics, Zandberg created his position as an intellectual guru of the left, but they did not translate this in any way into political practice. In my opinion, the complaining by those young (I mean so called, they are already rather in the middle generation) about [New Left co-leader] Włodzimierz Czarzasty is unfair to him. Granted, he is a post-PRL politician, but he is superior to both of them by his actions. It is his work to glue together the old post-PZPR left with the younger generation and bring the left back to parliament after 8 years. Of course, this glue is no longer enough and fresh blood is needed in the ranks of the Left, but I wouldn’t particularly mythologize the young.

Still very much in the game; Jarosław Kaczyński

Law and Justice has lost power; so, in a new situation for itself, will the former ruling party concentrate solely on obstructing the current coalition and waiting for the next elections, including the presidential one, in which few people give a chance to the PiS candidate, whoever that may be, or will it want to change its image in some way?

I think that PiS will try as much as possible to get its act together and do everything possible to get the best possible result in next year’s presidential elections. The fact that today few give them a chance to keep the presidency in their hands is, paradoxically, a very good signal for PiS. The Civic Coalition may fall into the “[Bronisław] Komorowski trap” [in 2015 it seemed that the incumbent president from Civic Platform would have no rivals and was assured re-election, meanwhile he sensationally lost in the second round to Andrzej Duda, until then a little-known PiS politician]. It is by no means the case that those currently in power have the future presidency in their pocket and everything comes down only to which candidate they put up. The potential for political support for Andrzej Duda should not be forgotten. No matter what we think of him; in my opinion, the dominant feature of this 10year presidency is something I would call “inadequacy,” to the office, to the situation, to the challenges, etc. But in spite of all this, he carries with him a certain amount of support that cannot be ignored. Of course, this resource will not be 100% transferred to someone else, but this someone, whom PiS will

PIS WILL TRY TO EXPAND ITS HOLDINGS, TO MOBILIZE SOME PERHAPS HIDDEN SOMEWHERE PARTS OF THE HARDCORE ELECTORATE TO PUSH ITS CANDIDATE TO THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE

anoint as a candidate, will take some part of the electorate of the outgoing president. And this is not 10 percentage points, but much, much more. That’s why I think the outcome of the presidential election is very uncertain, and until the very end it may be determined by whether there will be some tap, some economic mistake, something that will somehow discredit those currently in power. The Law and Justice will do everything not to make the situation in the country worse - I don’t claim that this is such a motivation - but to make it more difficult for the current coalition to achieve its goals, show its weaknesses and consolidate its supporters. It will continue to

The Presidential Palace in Warsaw

Andrzej Duda - retiring tenant

Rafał Trzaskowski - new tenant candidate

scare, to show that the European Union - contrary to what Tusk says - is not a guarantor of Polish security, but rather a guarantor of threats.

Therefore, I don’t think that in the pre-election period there can be a change in the image of the former ruling party to some kind of “PiS with a human face,” to PiS that is pro-democratic, to PiS that opens up to the circles to which it has so far closed itself off. PiS will try to expand its holdings, to mobilize some perhaps hidden somewhere parts of the hardcore electorate to push its candidate to the Presidential Palace. And it has a good chance of succeeding.

You assessed that one of the undisputed winners of the European elections has become the Confederation; what is the phenomenon of this grouping?

The phenomenon stems from an aversion to bureaucracy, including the bureaucracy of the European Union, from the fact that a large part of the young bought some of the

disgusting anti-EU propaganda oozed during the campaign by radical-nationalist politicians. It worked; the Confederation, unlike PiS, was consistent in its message to voters. On the one hand, PiS said it wanted to be in Europe, while on the other it argued that the EU was a bad thing. The Confederation was unequivocal in its negative assessment of the European community.

Paradoxically, the Confederation’s surprisingly good result was possible because European integration has been a success in Poland. Already more than one generation of Poles began their lives after Poland’s entry into the EU. The generation that is already leading an adult life, including political life, lives according to EU rules, enjoying all the pluses of living in a united Europe. They can’t imagine that there can be any other Poland than Poland in the EU. Community membership is a natural element for them, like the air they breathe. They do not realize the simple fact that being in the EU is not something to be taken for granted, but the result of a conscious political choice made by the country. That choice didn’t have to happen; the European Coal and Steel Community didn’t have to come into being at all in 1952, which included Germany and France, countries that fought on opposite sides in the Great War that ended just seven years earlier. This choice is also reversible, as evidenced by Brexit. In short: the young must realize that Poland’s European choice must be protected. What they take for granted - the freedom to travel, the opportunity to study and work abroad - may be coming to an end. The young do not feel this threat, which is why they so easily succumb to anti-EU slogans, convinced that the policies of the community can be criticized in every way, and the advantages of being in the EU will remain anyway, which is not the case. There is no doubt that the education system is responsible for this state of affairs. Young Poles accept the slogans of the supposedly “libertarian” Confederation, without seeing how much of this liberties they owe to the European Union.

Triumph of the radicals - Confederation leader Sławomir Mentzen

BUDGET FOR 2025

Work on next year ' s budget is starting. Economists predict that the government will not be able to rake in money.

The Council of Ministers has adopted the assumptions of the draft state budget for 2025, which will translate into the projected level of next year’s revenues and expenditures.

Both this year and next, the government expects a marked economic recovery with significantly lower inflation. GDP is projected to grow in real terms from 3.1% in 2024 to 3.7% in 2025, compared to only 0.2% in 2023.

This is expected to be influenced by falling inflation, a return to clearly positive real wage growth, supported by increases in the minimum wage and public sector wages. Here, the government assumes that after two years of high prices, price growth will slow to 5.2% this year and 4.1% next

year. Instead, wages are expected to grow faster than inflation. Average wages in the economy are expected to grow by 11.9% in nominal terms, and by 7.1% in 2025.

The minimum wage is also expected to grow at roughly the same rate. This is because the government is proposing (we will finally know this rate after consultations with employers and trade unionists) that the wage minimum from January 2025 will be PLN 4,626 gross (the hourly rate is PLN 30.2). This is PLN 326, (7.6%), more than the amount that will be in effect until July 1, 2024 (PLN 4,300).

The government also proposes that salaries in the public sector will be indexed by 4.1% (equal to inflation) next year. And pensions will increase by at least 6.78%.

As for the outlook for the economy, the government expects that the pace of GDP growth will also be supported by the investments started under the EU’s National Reconstruction Plan (KPO) and the increase in household disposable income (which will translate into both an increase in consumption and an increase in the savings rate).

According to experts, the assumptions made by the government are more or less realistic. Some economists expect a little higher GDP growth, some expect a little lower, and the same with inflation.

“What is important in this context is the rational approach to the establishment of the minimum wage,” Łukasz Bernatowicz, vice president of the Business Center Club, told the Rzeczpospolita daily. “There is currently no justification for its further increase, and it generates an increase in burdens on the part of entrepreneurs, a progressive increase in prices in its wake, and holds back private investment, as entrepreneurs have to devote large resources to servicing these increases instead of investing them,” he pointed out.

“It is good that after the last two years, when the growth rate of the minimum wage was almost 20%, we are back on the path of single-digit increases,” assessed Prof. Jacek Męcina, advisor to the board of directors of the Employers’ Confederation Lewiatan. “But the pace of the increase proposed by the government, however, is surprising. The 7.6% increase, or PLN 326, is not good news for entrepreneurs, especially micro and small ones, who are struggling to cope with rising labor costs,” he noted.

The budget assumptions adopted by the government do not address the fact that Brussels will start an excessive deficit procedure against Poland later this year. In 2023, the deficit of the entire public finance sector reached 5.1% of GDP, significantly exceeding the EU limit of 3% of GDP.

Finance Minister Andrzej Domański stressed during the European Financial Congress in Sopot that the initiation

WE SPEND MORE THAN 4% OF GDP ON DEFENSE, THE MOST AMONG ALL NATO COUNTRIES. AND IT IS ILLOGICAL TO PUNISH US FOR THIS IN ANY WAY, BECAUSE WE ARE BUILDING THE SECURITY NOT ONLY OF POLAND, BUT DE FACTO OF THE ENTIRE

EUROPEAN UNION

of the procedure is inevitable. From his words, however, it appears that the government is quietly hoping that the relevant recommendations from Brussels, regarding the path of deficit reduction, will not be too harsh after all.

“We are in dialogue with the EC at the moment, we are presenting our point of view. We are very clearly arguing that the deficit overrun is a direct result of our massive defense spending,” he said. “We spend more than 4% of GDP on defense, the most among all NATO countries. And it is illogical to punish us for this in any way, because we are building the security not only of Poland, but de facto of the entire European Union,” he stressed.

The minister did not want to specify how much of an impact the excessive deficit procedure might have on the state budget in 2025.

Finance Minister, Andrzej Domański

MAJOR SHIPOWNERS FIGHT FOR GDAŃSK

Maritime operators want to take advantage of the possibility to transship goods from Asia at the enlarged Baltic Hub container terminal.

Poland’s land territory recently expanded by 36 hectares. At the external port of Gdańsk, a new piece of land - a rectangular peninsula - was piled up from sand and stones excavated from the bottom of the bay. A new third part of the Baltic Hub terminal (formerly DCT) is being built on it, which will allow to increase the annual handling capacity by half - from 3 million to 4.5 million TEUs (20-foot containers). The investment is 60% advanced, with the construction of the peninsula’s foundation just completed.

The investment, valued at more than PLN 2 billion, will include the construction of a deep-water wharf with a length of 717 meters and a depth of 18 meters, as well as a loading yard. This will make it one of the largest facilities of its kind in Europe. The project will include the installation of eight quay cranes capable of loading and unloading the world’s largest ships. In addition, there will be 28 semi-automatic, remote-controlled RMG cranes.

The work, which began in November 2022, should finish in the second half of next year. The contractor admits that the works were severely hampered by the storm. “At that time, the works were severely hampered,” Michał Wrzosek, a spokesman for Budimex, which is building this part of the Baltic Hub together with Deme Dredging, a Belgian company that specializes in extracting raw materials from the seabed, told Dziennik Gazeta Prawna daily.

Baltic Hub is owned by three entities - Singaporean port operator PSA International (40%), the Polish Development Fund (30%) and Australia’s IFM Global Infrastructure Fund (30%). The owners do not rule out that the terminal will be further expanded if needed.

Year after year, new records are being broken at the Gdańsk port. In 2023, Baltic Hub consolidated its position as the leader in container handling in the Baltic Sea. A result of 2.05 million TEUs was recorded. More than 600 ships were received, including 105 ocean-going vessels.

There are still transshipment reserves at the current two terminals. There is growing interest on the part of the world’s largest shipowners for the largest container ships sailing from Asia to call at Gdańsk. In the coming months, the container port can expect quite a reshuffle. At the beginning of 2025, the 2M ocean alliance, which includes Denmark’s Maersk (No. 2 in the world) and Switzerland’s MSC (the leading shipowner), will cease to exist. Both companies operate 400-meter ships on the line from Korea and China, which ends its route right in Gdańsk. Baltic Hub Terminal 2, which is the only one capable of handling the largest container ships, is also used by vessels of the Ocean Alliance, which includes China’s Cosco and Hong Kong-based subsidiary OOCL. The Danes, together with the Chinese shipowner, make full use of the capacity of Terminal 2. Terminal 1, on the other hand, is used to handle feeders, i.e. smaller vessels used to distribute containers around other ports in a given sea. However, deep-sea vessels of the French company CMA CGM also dock there. The Baltic Hub operator has agreed to an unusual form of loading. The vessels arrive with a smaller load of containers, which are additionally located closer to one side.

Another line operated by the world’s largest operator, MSC, sails to Poland from Asia. There is not enough room for this shipowner’s ships in Gdansk, so it has to use the port in Gdynia. However, the terminal there allows the handling of smaller ships up to 366 meters in length, so MSC had to direct neopanamax-class vessels there, which take up to 16,000 containers.

There may be a fierce battle between shipowners for the vacant slots after Maersk, as well as for the new berths. Interest in the slots is expressed primarily by MSC, which has recently been directing more and more ships to Gdynia and, if possible, to Gdańsk. The French are also interested in increasing transshipment in Gdańsk.

The owner of the Baltic Hub will want to enlarge the peninsula in the next stage. Terminal 4 is to be used to further strengthen the transshipment capacity. The date of its con-

struction is not yet known. Terminal 5 will probably be built much earlier, but its purpose will be somewhat different. It is to serve as an installation base for offshore wind turbines. “In order for wind farm operators to install them at sea in the Polish economic zone, these large turbines must be installed somewhere. This is what Terminal 5 will be used for,” Adam Żołnowski, chief financial officer of Baltic Hub, told the Newseria Biznes news agency.

Trans shipments at the entire Gdańsk port are steadily growing. Last year, a record 81 million tons were handled there, ranking ninth in Europe. The first months of this year can also be optimistic. The increases are mainly in liquid fuels (from January to the end of April this year, trans shipments jumped by 1.5 million t, reaching 13.5 million t).

The segments of both grains and general cargo, especially containerized cargo, also show an upward trend. Declines in trans shipments are recorded primarily in coal,” reported Aneta Urbanowicz of the press office of the Gdańsk port.

At the same time, further investments are being carried out. “Work on the reconstruction of more quays in the inner port is continuing. For this purpose, we have received funding from the CEF2 Instrument in the amount of about EUR 100 million. Four wharves will be rebuilt: the Ore, Bytom, Coal and Vistula wharves. The Ore and Bytom wharves, with a total length of more than 450 meters, are being modernized first. The investment is expected to be completed in less than two years. In the next stage, after a tender is awarded, other quays - Vistula and Coal - will be modernized,” Urbanowicz said.

Port operators are also making investments. The Naftoport liquid fuel terminal is preparing for expansion.

At the same time, the port of Gdańsk admits that they are exhausting the land opportunities for spatial development of quay infrastructure along the coastline. Therefore, the idea of building a new Central Port, which will be built on the waters of the Bay, is current. This will be an investment under the formula of public-private partnership. Another competition is currently underway for this project.

WAREHOUSE AND INDUSTRIAL STOCK GROWS AT LESS THAN 10%

According to the latest report “ Industrial and Warehouse Market in Poland, Q1 2024 ” , released by real estate advisory firm Newmark Polska, the Polish warehouse and industrial market saw less than 1 million sqm transacted in the first quarter of 2024.

At the end of March, the development pipeline stood at more than 2.3 million sqm while vacant stock in standing buildings experienced another rise. An increase in both developers’ and tenants’ activity is, however, expected to be spurred by long-awaited cuts to interest rates.

At the end of the first quarter of 2024, Poland’s total warehouse and industrial stock surpassed 32.7 million sqm, a 9.5% rise on the same time last year.

“As expected, the pace of the warehouse and industrial market’s growth fell below 10% from the annual average of nearly 16% seen in the last 10 years. In January-March 2024, just over 852,000 sqm of new space was delivered, up by 47% over the quarter but down by more than 55% year-on-year. A revival in warehouse development and speculative projects in particular is, however, likely to be sparked by long-awaited cuts to interest rates that would help bring project financing costs down,” says Jakub Kurek, Head of Industrial and Warehouse, Newmark Polska.

At the end of March 2024, the volume of warehouse and industrial space in the pipeline amounted to more than 2.3 million sqm, down by 17.6% from the fourth quarter of

2023 but up by more than 9% year-on-year. Development activity has remained at approximately 2.4 million sqm for several quarters and focused on Poland’s six largest industrial markets (Warsaw and its suburbs, Upper Silesia, Central Poland, Lower Silesia, Wielkopolska and Tricity). A leading

THE

PROVINCES WITH THE

HIGHEST

LEASING ACTIVITY WERE MAZOVIA,

ŁÓDZKIE AND WIELKOPOLSKA, WHICH ACCOUNTED FOR 23.8%, 20.4% AND 19.0% OF THE TOTAL TAKE-UP RESPECTIVELY

province for construction is also Małopolska, where almost 152,000 sqm is under way.

Total take-up for the first quarter of 2024 reached nearly 872,000 sqm, a decrease of more than 25.9% year-on-year and 54% quarter-on-quarter. This represents the lowest leasing activity in Poland since the third quarter of 2017 and a figure below 1 million sqm for the first time in 17 quarters, i.e. since the fourth quarter of 2019.

“However, with the annual take-up averaging more than 4.6 million sqm since 2016, this year’s industrial and warehouse leasing volume in Poland is also expected to surpass 4 million sqm,” adds Kurek.

The structure of demand in the first quarter of 2024 was dominated by new leases which accounted for 58% of total take-up, followed by renewals and expansions which made up 36% and 6% respectively. It is also worth adding that a total of 58,900 sqm was transacted in the first three months of the year under shorter leases of up to one year.

“The provinces with the highest leasing activity were Mazovia, Łódzkie and Wielkopolska, which accounted for 23.8%, 20.4% and 19.0% of the total take-up respectively. Occupiers’ interest focused firmly on warehouses featuring energy-saving and sustainable solutions and providing an enhanced employee experience,” says Agnieszka Giermakowska, Research & Advisory Director, ESG Lead, Newmark Polska.

The largest lettings of the three months to end-March 2024 included a confidential retailer’s lease for 62,000 sqm in Hillwood Łódź II and a new contract for 60,000 sqm in

Panattoni Park Poznań A2 signed by an e-commerce company. Another large new lease saw ID Logistics take 49,800 sqm in Panattoni Park Poznań West Gate II.

At the end of March 2024, the overall vacancy rate stood at 8.2%, an increase of 0.8 pp over the quarter and 1.7 pp year-on-year. Nearly 2.7 million sqm remained vacant in standing buildings, signifying a steady increase in vacancies, compared to 1.13 million sqm in the pipeline.

“Prime industrial and warehouse rents hold rather firm on the core markets. Locations experiencing relatively high vacancy rates tend to offer more attractive rental rates and lease incentive packages. At the end of the first quarter of 2024, the highest rents were in Warsaw (zone 1), but recent newcomers to the list of Poland’s top three most expensive industrial markets are Pomerania and Małopolska,” says Urszula Sobczyk, Head of Valuation, Newmark Polska.

Newmark Polska, a Newmark Global Partner, is a member of the Newmark Global Network. As one of Poland’s premier integrated commercial real estate services companies, the group provides conflict-free tenant representation, in addition to capital markets, market research and advisory, valuation, design and project management and workplace strategy services. Newmark Polska is led by Piotr Kaszyński, based in Warsaw, with additional offices in Wroclaw, Tricity and Kraków. The team leverages Newmark’s (Nasdaq: NMRK) global platform, which offers a comprehensive suite of services that seamlessly powers every phase of the property life cycle from offices around the world.

Agnieszka Giermakowska, Jakub Kurek, Urszula Sobczyk

THINK OF SURFING THINK OF POLAND

You might think surfing adventure is only possible in warm countries located by oceans and seas with high waves and Poland would not be your likely surfing destination. But think twice. Riding on Polish waves is not only possible but can be very exciting.

lmost 500 kilometers of coastline, low-salt waters with fast-moving waves, no reefs, sandy seabed and relatively weak sea currents are the definite advantages of the Polish Baltic Sea.

There are also many places with shallow water where the waves are not very strong but allow for long rides, for example on the Hel Peninsula, with Władysławowo considered the country’s main surfing spot. Optimal waves for surfing appear on the Baltic Sea in the autumn-winter season, during the biggest storms. No wonder this exciting sport is becoming increasingly popular in Poland with the community of Polish surfers growing stronger every year.

The Polish Surfing Federation (PZS) has been operating in Poland for a few years now, being also an active member of the International Surfing Association (ISA), the Polish Olympic Committee PKOL and the European Surfing Federation.

Jan Sadowski, surfer and president of PZS, at a recent press conference in Warsaw spoke about different types of surfing or “sliding on the top of a seawave using a special board,” including longboard, SUPSurfing and shortboard. The latter entered the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020 as a new discipline.

BEYOND

THE PURSUIT OF

THE PERFECT

WAVE,

THERE IS ALSO A WHOLE CULTURE GROWING AROUND THE SPORT, INTEGRATING THE POLISH SURFING

COMMUNITY AND ATTRACTING NEW WAVE RIDING ENTHUSIASTS

According to Sadowski, the surfing scene in Poland has seen a real boom with a fast growing number of surfers and places to practice the sport. PZS estimates show there are 200,000 to 300,000 people practicing surfing in the country.

Every year, Poland holds several surfing events. The most important is the official Polish Surfing Championships in Władysławowo in late summer, attracting also participants from outside the country. Since 2022 the championship has been organised by PZS but the idea originates from the Polish Surfing Challenge competition, held in the years 2007–2021.

Cold Waves by Porsche, the largest Polish cold water surfing competition held at the turn of February and March, is another cyclical event.

Polish surfers have already won international recognition. In the ISA World Surf Games 2024, the last qualification stage for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Poland had a full six-member team, which took an outstanding 30th place in the world and 9th among European countries. Polish competitor Max Michalewski achieved a historic result, placing 31st.

Sadowski believes that an even stronger Polish representation can be expected on the international surfing scene in the future as the sport gains more interest among Polish youth. PZSurf’s plans for this year include establishing the Polish Junior National Team and organising the Polish Junior Championships.

The PZS’s agenda for 2024 also includes the third official Polish Surfing Championships, participation in the European Championships and further development of surfing activities on land. Recently, on May 18, the first Carver Surfskate Open competition “with no waves” took place at the ‘Mała Kaśka’ spot, on the Vistula River in Warsaw.

Surfing in Poland is not just a temporary trend, Sadowski argues. Beyond the pursuit of the perfect wave, there is also a whole culture growing around the sport, integrating the Polish surfing community and attracting new wave riding enthusiasts.

“What counts in the world of surfing,” he adds, “is not only skill, but above all attitude and principles such as friendship, fair competition, respect for the sea, nature and

care for the environment.” It is also a specific lifestyle that manifests itself in the surf dresscode and aesthetic choices.

The Polish surfing scene is vibrant not only on the water. Many surfers engage in artistic creation. The best example of this is Aleksander Lange, who combines his passion for surfing and for art. It was him who designed several quivers of boards for a three-time world champion from Brazil Gabriel Medina. These include the quiver with each board showcasing the planets in the solar system and the moon phase quiver with a different lunar phase on each board.

Lange’s designs also won recognition from the renowned Australian surf apparel brand Rip Curl. Their collaboration resulted in the creation of a limited collection of Solar System t-shirts.

BUTIK

Compiled by Marzena Robinson

1/ Allure of Forbidden Desires

Quattro Pizzi is a new captivating fragrance from Xerjoff’s Casamorati brand inspired by the illustrious saga of a Sicilian dynasty steeped in power, wealth and glory. Evoking the grandeur of Palermo’s emblematic palace the scent transports you to the Belle Époque era, where love, beauty, and nobility mingle with intrigue and sin. Heat and passion unravel through the notes of this scented story against Sicily’s breathtaking backdrop.

to the historic Villa Primerose in Grasse, the new line celebrates the deep connection between fragrances and memories.

Blue Madeleine is like a delicious pleasure of a freshly baked gourmand madeleine, refined with smoky tea accords and a hint of exotic spices.

sublimates both. It is a play between delicacy and power, feminine and masculine in which the voluptuous rose imbued with velvety, suede-like notes no longer masks, but reveals the leather.

Quattro Pizzi begins with a sweet, spicy mix of Rum, Davana and Pink Pepper, leading to a floral heart dominated by intoxicating essence of Tuberose and accentuated with Coconut, which create an irresistibly sweet, milky aroma that lingers on the skin like a lover’s forbidden touch. The Blond Tobacco Leaves, aromatic Hay, and the comforting Tonka Beans form a solid ground for the base notes to create an alluring and thrilling scent trail.

2/ Ode to Emotional Power of Perfume

Atelier des Ors has launched two new perfumes as part of their new Memory Lane collection. Inspired by the French label’s move

The fragrance opens with a citric burst of Bergamot blended with a hint of warm Cinnamon. A creamy spiciness harmonizes with Pink Pepper, creating a delectable aromatic blend. A floral-sweet bouquet of Rose Centifolia and Black Tea develops in the heart, surrounded by a milky aroma. The fragrance is rounded off with a creamy-sweet accord of Peruvian Balsam and Praline, paired with velvety Sandalwood creating a comforting and inviting olfactory experience that lingers before gently settling into a subtle creamy base.

Villa Primerose pays tribute to the roots of perfumery when the most beautiful flowers were used to perfume the leather gloves worn by aristocrats at the time. This new fragrance reinterprets this combination of rose and leather and turns this contrast of scents into a creative line that

Opening with a spicy-fruity blend of Cardamom, Pear, and Pink Pepper, it beckons with an alluring warmth. At its heart, the infusion of Centifolia Rose, Ambrette and Iris unfolds a bouquet of floral opulence. The composition ends in a warm, woody base note of Leather, Amberwood and Musk, which lends the fragrance a sensual depth.

The perfume bottles are decorated with fragments of 24-carat gold leaf and bear the label’s trademark: engraved rays symbolizing sunbeams. These elements pay homage to the crystal-cutting technique used in haute perfumery during the Art Déco period.

3/ Fit for royalty Queen of Silk, a new captivating women’s perfume from House of Creed embodies the opulent luster and heavenly softness of silk, evoking the Orient in all its splendor. It delicately embraces the skin with a gos-

samer-like touch, leaving a seductive trail that captivates the senses.

Inspired by the distant lands through which this lustrous fabric once travelled, the Queen of Silk takes you on an exhilarating journey with an enchanting fusion of sensual notes from around the world.

It weaves together floral notes of Chinese Osmanthus, enriched Indian Tuberose and alluring nuances of Javanese Patchouli that dance seductively with Cedar and Agarwood.

Wrapped in accords of myrrh, the fragrance offers a bewitching sensory experience with its final soft touch of Madagascar Vanilla in a lingering, sensual testament to timeless refinement.

4/ Sun-kissed Fragrance

Isola Sol by Roja Parfums captures a snapshot of a blissful day spent on a golden beach when the last rays of sunlight shimmering over the horizon bid a farewell while a gentle breeze caresses the skin. The fragrance takes hold of the senses and describes the magical radiance of an eternal holiday.

A citrusy accord composed of Bergamot and Petitgrain over Mandarin and

Lemon opens Isola Sol with the sparkling power of a bright ray of sunshine. With, juicy Apricot, and velvety Peach, the fragrance envelops you in a warm embrace, transporting you to a place where summer never ends. Delicate floral notes of Jasmine and Ylang Ylang mingle with creamy Coconut, while a base of Sandalwood and Salty accord adds depth and allure. Fruity Pink Pepper, creamy Woods, Musk and a Salt accord conclude Roja’s work of art.

A translucent gold and yellow iconic flacon classic embodies the sun-filled essence of Isola Sol.

5/

Your Biggest Ally Against UV Rays

The Natura Bissé C+C Vitamin BI-Phase Invisible Sunscreen SPF 50 Dry Touch will keep the skin nourished and safe from sun damage while you enjoy your outdoor activities to the full.

The formula of this sweat- and water-resistant body sunscreen is infused with an antioxidant blend, including Vitamin C and E, to protect your skin against the UVA and UVB rays whilst working to combat free radical damage, the primary cause of premature ageing. It also features

a mixture of reef safe, powerful sun filters that prevent photo-ageing. Additionally, it offers a hydrating effect.

The sunscreen has a delightful citrus scent, super-light texture, is easy to apply and fast absorbing with a dry finish. It is also suitable for children from 3 years old.

6/ Essence of Daring Femininity

Sirène is the first-ever female-inspired fragrance from Fragrance du Bois, crafted by perfumer Nanako Ogi for those who dare to stand out. It celebrates femininity in all its forms. Its empowerment unfolds in waves and is experienced with every spray, making it a beacon for those women who embrace their uniqueness.

The fragrance opens with a seductive burst of juicy, mouth-watering Cherry and vibrant Pepper. The heart notes then unfold with a captivating blend of majestic Oud, and mystical Incense and creamy touch of Lactones, which add depth and intrigue. The profound notes of Moss, Benzoin, Cistus, Labdanum, and Cypriol provide a grounded, earthy finish to the perfume, anchoring the initial burst of top notes with a lasting impression of warmth and sensuality.

THE

Sound Zone at Asia and Pacific Museum

Nearly 120 musical instruments from various cultural areas and countries can be seen at the permanent exhibition staged by the Asia and Pacific Museum in Warsaw.

Visitors can not only view objects from the museum collection, but also listen to the sound of selected musical instruments and watch films presenting the techniques of playing them.

The exhibition presents instruments from very different regions, from Central Asia to the Pacific islands, varying in shape and richness of decorations. They are divided into four groups depending on their construction and the way they produce sound. These range from instruments of simple construction, played on an amateur basis, such as clapboards, to real works of art, used by professional musicians at the courts of rulers. Some of them are decorated with mother of pearl or inlaid by violin makers. Some were used in Buddhist or Hindu rituals, and others were played at weddings and served as an accompaniment to family celebrations.

Among them, visitors can admire a cylindrical drum from Indonesia, an Indian nagara kettle, and a vessel

flute made of coconut, which is played only by men on the islands of Oceania.

The cultural context and functions of the instruments are presented using various multimedia. They provide the opportunity to learn about both the traditional role of the instrument and the contemporary changes taking place in the sphere of music through the interpenetration of different cultures. For visitors who want to test their musical abilities, there is an opportunity to play selected traditional instruments.

Visitors will have tablets at their disposal containing hundreds of archival and contemporary photos, sound recordings, video recordings and broader descriptions, from where anyone interested will be able to learn more about the instruments on the display.

Total Immersion in Klimt’s world BUZZ

limt– The Immersive Exhibition” at Soho Art Centre in Warsaw takes visitors on a virtual, 360-degree journey into the world of Gustav Klimt’s life and works.

This unique light and sound spectacular is a combination of masterful art and cutting-edge technology making the Austrian artist’s compelling works more tangible than ever before.

The introduction focuses on Klimt’s life and creative path, while the main part of the multimedia exhibition takes viewers to a fascinating world of golden shades and intense colours of his art.

One of a kind Virtual Reality component of the show, guides viewers through the golden era of the artist’s work, allowing them to literally enter the lavish and rich compositions of the most iconic paintings of the Viennese visionary.

Born in 1862 in Vienna, Klimt, a leading exponent of Art Nouveau, is considered one of the greatest decorative painters of the 20th century.

He was the creator not only of painting masterpieces, but also of outstanding allegories, nudes, landscapes and intriguing drawings, making him a versatile artist. His life, taking place in the shadow of the lower classes of society in the Habsburg Monarchy, created a fascinating legend, and his golden paintings, landscapes and drawings contributed to consolidating his undisputed place in the history of art.

On view till July 7.

An Icon of Polish Design

The Museum of Warsaw is staging a new temporary exhibition “Julia Keilowa.

Designer”, dedicated to a pioneer of modern design and Art Deco, who worked in the 1930s.

Keilowa, nee Ringel, designed everyday objects in the Art Déco style. Her artistic education and sculptural experience allowed her to develop her own distinctive style. Thanks to the popularity of plating, a technique of covering non-precious metal products with a thin layer of silver or gold, her designs entered the salons of the Second Republic of Po-

land, earning Keilowa fame and recognition. Attempts to imitate her style were made as early as the 1930s, there were even forgeries of her products, which testifies to the significance of Keilowa’s design and to her status.

Today, Keilowa’s metalwork belongs to the canon of masterpieces of Polish design, and her works are sought after in the collectors’ market as coveted additions to both public and private art collections.

The core of the exhibition are nearly 80 objects designed and created by Keilowa. This is the most extensive presentation of her work to date, encompassing handcrafted unique items and sculptural works.

They stand out with their distinctive style, balanced composition based on mathematical proportions, pursuit of harmony, rhythm and elegance. The artist was keen on juxtaposing basic geometric volumes—cones, cylinders, spheres, prisms. Their arrangement is clear and precisely matched, balanced. However, the volumes are neither heavy nor angular. Sharp forms are softened by curves, arcs, and crescent bends. Keilowa had fa-

vourite shapes and she skillfully applied them in her various projects. Her designs are marked by a profound awareness of form and space.

Despite their small scale, a sculptural approach to the shapes of objects is evident. The artist also used light skillfully. Gloss, reflections and the shadows contrasting with them are distinctive features of silvery metal. It is not the richness of ornamentation and decorations, but rather the original combination of simple forms, soft edges and rhythmic steps that construct the extraordinary decorativeness of the objects designed by Keilowa.

The exhibition also features a number of personal memorabilia of the designer. These are unique items that shed light on her vibrant personality.

Along with Keilowa’s ouvere, the exhibition also showcases works by her contemporary and older female designers in Europe - Sonia Delaunay, Jutta Sika, Christa Ehrlich, and Sylvia

Stave, which constitutes an overview of the best Art Déco design of the time.

On display are gouaches and fabrics designed by Delaunay from the collections of the Musée des Artes Décoratifs in Paris, porcelain and glass by Sika from the collection of the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna, silverware by Ehrlich from the Dutch Silver Museum in Schoonhoven, and silver and metal objects designed by Stave from a private collection.

Julia Ringel was born in 1902 in the town of Stryj, today in Ukraine, into a Jewish family. She attended high school in Lviv and Vienna. In 1922, she married Ignacy Keil and moved to Warsaw with him. Three years later she began her studies at the State School of Fine Arts in the sculpture department.

In 1932, she started collaborating with the Warsaw-based Fraget metalwork company, and later with Norblin and Henneberg Brothers factories. Her Art Déco-style projects quickly gained recognition from critics and customers alike. In 1933, Julia set up her own metalwork studio. From 1932 to 1939 she took an active part in the artistic life of the capital, systematically presenting sculptures and utility items at group exhibitions, also abroad, and winning prizes. In 1938, she had an individual exhibition of silver-plated objects. Keilowa was known among friends and fellow artists for her energy and vigour, as well as for her initiative and ideas.

Following the outbreak of the Second World War, she fled to Lviv where she ran a ceramics studio. After two years, she returned to Warsaw and hid on the ‘Aryan’ side. She was murdered by the Gestapo in 1942.

Phenomena characteristic of the first decades of the 20th century, and especially the 1930s in Warsaw, manifest themselves in the course of Keilowa’s short life and in less than a decade of her intensive career. The division between fine and applied arts blurs, art schools begin to train designers, and women designers gain recognition and build their careers on a par with family life. Industry employs more and more designers and builds its brand through their work. Elegant Art Déco silver-plated items compete with more expensive silver ones. In Poland, reborn in 1918 after over a century under Partitions, modern design was aimed to support the modernisation of the young state. Keilowa’s metalwork often served as a symbol of the Second Republic’s art.

Without a doubt, Julia Keilowa took advantage of the opportunities she had but, to be sure, her talent, creativity, perseverance, diligence, and consistency in creating a distinctive style were essential. Today, one could safely state that the designer consciously—and at an extraordinary pace—built a personal brand. Her name stood for beautiful, utilitarian objects, manufactured on a large scale yet still considered works of art.

Keilowa’s legacy was dispersed during World War II. In the decades following the end of the War, the designer fell into oblivion, also due to the change in political system. The socialist Polish state deliberately obliterated the memory of the Polish Second Republic’s achievements, nationalized the silver plating factories and ignored the copyright issues. At the same time, aesthetic preferences changed, and the style of the 1930s seemed outdated. The last few decades have seen a revival of Art Déco and a rediscovery of Keilowa’s artistic output. Till September 1.

Women who illuminated Warsaw in the last century

The exhibition “Designers of light. The women creators of Warsaw’s neon signs “ at the Neon Museum in Warsaw is the result of many years of searching and archival research. It presents the profiles of several women whose designs not only illuminated the streets of Warsaw, but also went down in history as symbols of the Polish capital in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

Today, Neon art is experiencing a resurgence, with a new generation of artists exploring the unique possibilities of the medium. An increasing number of premises, shops and service points chose to replace traditional signs with glowing inscriptions and logos. This is a return to the trend from several decades ago, when there was direct talk about the “neonisation” of the streets of Polish cities. As it turned out it was not only an aesthetic measure, but also a political one. The authorities at that time wanted to make the Polish cities similar to those in the west, sparkling with lights and colors.

The original designs from these times were characterised by great craftsmanship, attention was drawn to fanciful shapes tailored to the locations where they were to appear, as well as sophisticated typography and lettering. The design also required knowledge of chemistry and physics, and the creation process from commission to production – could take two to three years.

“Today, the preserved old neon signs are treated as works of art, although knowledge of the creators, especially women, behind these magnificent illuminated designs is limited,” said Ilona Karwińska, curator of the exhibition and director of the Neon Muzeum.

“By organizing the exhibition, we endeavour to illuminate the names and memory of the female creators of Warsaw’s neon signs. By promoting knowledge about neon signs, we also want to contribute to the public discourse on how the city space should look,” she added.

Visitors to the exhibition have the opportunity to become acquainted with the profiles of prominent female designers, Magdalena Byczyńska, Krystyna Kołodziej, Zofia Kostecka, Wiesława Łobos and Ewa Ryllowa, through their archival neon projects and interviews.

“Neon signs, unlike in modern times, Karwińska said, were part of the central planning of urban spaces. Involving people with great expertise was a guarantee of high quality and interesting projects. “

In many cases, the only limitation was the imagination of the designers. One such example is the iconic neon ‘hedgehog’, a sphere composed of glass tubes, which Byczyńska designed for a fur shop on Świętokrzyska Street.

The Neon Muzeum is a ‘second home’ for historical old neon signs – mainly from Warsaw – which can no longer remain in the locations they were designed for. The museum is actively involved in educational projects and ‘Action-Renovation’ campaign, which sees rare neon signs restored or reconstructed. The latest activity saw the restoration of the red Cepelia “Rooster” neon sign on Grzybowska street, designed by Kołodziej. Till Dec 31.

Revisiting Emotional Response to Art

Tears of Joy” is the largest ever presentation of the Zachęta National Gallery of Art collection. Several dozen works from recent decades, including key works for Polish art history and those related to groundbreaking events in the history of the gallery, tell a story about the emotions these works aroused in the past and which they arouse today. Some of them caused scandals because they touched on taboo topics, such as illness, old age or disability. How are they received today?

The exhibition seeks answers to the questions like ‘Who are exhibitions created for?’ ‘Whose stories do they tell and who is not represented in them and feels out of place in an art gallery?’ ‘What role should this institution play today and what needs should it respond to?’

Selected works and their contemporary interpretations, as well as current comments by both artists and the audience, reflect the changes in social sensitivity that have occurred over the years. They also show the important role of contemporary art and cultural institutions in the process of regaining a voice by social groups that have been systemically deprived of it.

The exhibition is designed as a space in which the presented works play an equally important role as audience activity and artistic performaces. The invited artists, through their actions, enter into dialogue with selected works and show alternative ways of viewing them.

Among the artists whose works are presented at Zacheta are Wojciech Bąkowski, Oskar Dawicki, Zuzanna Janin, Katarzyna Kozyra, Zofia Kulik, Zbigniew Libera, Mariola Przyjemska, Joanna Rajkowska, Erna Rosenstein, Alina Szapocznikow, Krzysztof Wodiczko, Artur Żmijewski and others. Until September 15.

American pop superstar to play three gigs in Warsaw

Taylor Swift , one of the hottest music acts in the world, will give three concerts at PGE Narodowy stadium in Warsaw on August 1, 2 and 3 as part of her Eras Tour.

The Eras is the artist’s ongoing sixth concert tour consisting of 152 shows across five continents. The tour commenced on March 17, 2023, in Glendale. Arizona, United States and is set to conclude on December 8, 2024, in Vancouver, Canada.

The tour is themed around the different “eras” Swift has created in that time, with individual sets dedicated to each of her 11 studio albums, including The Tortured Poets Department, a 31-track double album released in mid-April.

The Tortured Poets Department has cemented Swift as the biggest pop star this century by many metrics. The album has dominated streaming services globally and tracks from it occu-

pied the top 14 spots on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the week of release, breaking the record she set with her previous album, Midnights.

The Eras Tour has already become a cultural phenomenon, on a scale not seen since Madonna and Michael Jackson’s concerts in the 1980s. In December, it became the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, according to live music trade publication Pollstar, bringing more than USD 1 billion. Pollstar predicts that Swift could gross up to USD 2bn over the span of the tour.

At her Polish dates Swift will be supported by Paramore, an American rock band whose songs were featured on the soundtrack to the film “Twilight”. Since 2017, the band has featured vocalist Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York and drummer Zac Farro.

Jazz Around Festival comes to Warsaw

After the premiere edition at Moszna Castle in southwestern Poland and last year’s installment in the southern city of Katowice, the Jazz Around Festival will be held in the Polish capital on June 28 and 29.

The ‘around’ formula of the event means it is ‘on the move’ with each edition taking place in a different location in the country.

This year, it will be hosted by Warsaw’s Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art and its surroundings.

The festival presents a diverse range of music genres, exploring a wide spectrum of sounds, styles and musical traditions, from funk and soul to electronic experiments, from world music to fusion.

An international line-up of the event includes Avishai Cohen Trio, Brekky Boy, Emily King, GeeJay, Giacomo Turra & The Funky Minutes, Joel Culpepper, Lady Blackbird, Madison McFerrin and Nubya Garcia.

The festival is organized by Good Taste Production concert agency.

Schmidt International Sextet plays Komeda

Piotr Schmidt International Sextet along with an acclaimed French jazz percussionist Mino Cinelu and Polish jazz singer Wojciech Myrczek will appear together on stage in Warsaw on September 25.

The aim of this unique music project is to bring to the audience new contemporary arrangements of lesser-known songs by Krzysztof Komeda, a pioneer of modern jazz in Poland. The concert will feature material from Schmidt’s latest album Hearsay, a continuation of his musical adven-

ture with Komeda’s compositions. Previously, in 2022, Schmidt took on six previously unpublished compositions by Komeda, arranged them and released them on the “Komeda Unknown 1967” album.

Schmidt International Sextet features Piotr Schmidt on trumpet, Paweł Tomaszewski on piano, Grzech Piotrowski on saxophone, David Dorużka on guitar, Michał Barański on double bass and Sebastian Kuchczyński on drums.

September 25, UCK “Alternatywy”, 9 Indiry Gandhi St. Warszawa.

Surrealist trends in Polish art of the twentieth century

Surreal worlds presented in over 300 works of art, created in various periods, from the interwar period to contemporary times, can be seen at the exhibition “Surrealism. Other Myths” at the National Museum in Warsaw.

The main premise of this comprehensive exhibition is to abandon the orthodox way of thinking about Surrealism as a historical movement confined within a specific time frame and to treat it instead as a global, inclusive and diverse phenomenon. The narrative will begin with works from the interwar period, and end with pieces by artists tied to the international movement called Phases established in the 1950s. Historical art is juxtaposed with works by contemporary artists. The exhibition features typical Surrealist techniques such as decalcomania and Surrealist objects. A large collection of Surrealist photography is also shown.

“The initiative to organise an exhibition that shows surrealist tendencies in Polish art was taken in connection with the centenary of the first “Manifesto of Surrealism” by Andre Breton,” said Agnieszka Rosales Rodrigez, acting director of the National Museum in Warsaw (MNW).

“To mark this anniversary, exhibitions, scientific sessions and many interesting events are held in many European countries, showing surrealism as a global, inclusive and diverse phenomenon,” she added.

In the first part of the exhibition visitors can see paintings related to the beginnings of Polish surrealism, with artists from the The Artes Association of Artists and Designers in Lviv, founded in 1929. They included Jerzy Janisch, Aleksander Krzywobłocki, Mieczysław Wysocki, Margit Sielska, Roman Sielski, Otto Hahn, Ludwik Lille, Tadeusz Wojciechowski and Marek Włodarski.

Oneiric visions, unreal worlds, and fantastic images appear especially in the “surrealistic landscapes” of Wojciechowski and Włodarski. These artists used techniques such as collage and photomontage, combining elements from various visual realities.

“Surrealists used experimental solutions: they immortalised simple objects and forms in surprising angles,” said curator Hanna Doroszuk.

The exhibition also features heliographs by Karol Hiller, simultaneous photomontages by Kazimierz Podsadecki, photograms by Janusz Maria Brzeski and Marek Piasecki, photomontages by Leonard Sempoliński, photographs by Zbigniew Dłubak, Marian Szulc, and Zdzisław Beksiński.

“They show the artists’ original imagination and the beauty of black and white photography,” said Doroszuk.

Another part of the exhibition showcases surreal objects, sculptures-non-sculptures, objects “taken out” of context,

from their original destination and shown in a new environment, a typical technique for surrealists who often visited flea markets in search of inspiring objects and elements for assemblages.

Erna Rosenstein, whose works are on display, used found objects, such as chocolate boxes and fragments of a telephone. Marek Piasecki used fragments of dolls. In the assemblage “Mucha”, Władysław Hasior “trapped” an insect of enlarged size made of plastic in a heat-resistant dish.

A manifestation of later inspirations from surrealism was the international Phases movement which operated independently of the group of surrealists gathered around André Breton. Artists active in Phases organised joint exhibitions and published works and theoretical texts. The group also included Poles: Zbigniew Makowski, Tadeusz Brzozowski, Władysław Hasior, Jerzy Tchórzewski, Antoni Zydroń, Tytus Dzieduszycki-Sas and Andrzej Meissner. Initially, Jerzy Kujawski was also associated with Phases.

Apart from works from the NMW’s own collection, on display are pieces loaned from other Polish museums, the National Museum in Wrocław, the Museum of Art in Łódź, the National Museum in Kraków, the Museum of Photography in Kraków and the Tatra Museum in Zakopane, and international museums such as Paris’s Centre Georges Pompidou, Mumok - Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien in Vienna and private collections.

On view till August 11.

G REAT

Compiled by Bartosz Grzybiński

1/ Charger exXc

Smartphone, tablet, bluetooth speakers, headphones, smartwatch - they all need charging. Reduce your desk space and charge up to 3 devices at once with the eXc CUBE 65W charger, which has up to 3 outputs. With 65W of power, it can even handle charging a laptop. With its help, you’ll charge devices supporting fast charging technology as much as 8 times faster than with a standard 5V/1A port. What’s more, USB-C ports with Power Delivery technology will also charge Apple devices such as MacBook with up to 65W or iPhone with up to 35W.

2/ Arach watch

The watch model with the symbol A93H, along with its twin A95H, are the debut

of the Arach brand and fully reflect the brand’s exclusive vision. Its premise is to create solid, and refined timepieces, with a sporty character, but for everyday use and by everyone. Both women and men, both young and mature watch wearers.

The creation of such, and not another, name of the watch brand is connected with the name of the founder (Prządka) and refers to his fear of spiders - arachnophobia.

The A93H watch features a white dial and strap with pink accents on the ends of the hands, while the black A95H model stands out with bright green details.

On the dial we can find clear, convex hour numerals facing its center.

The envelope is primarily an ergonomic shape and eye-catching matte indentations

in its sides, as well as varied ways of finishing its surface.

The watch strap is created from durable and comfortable rubber. It was designed to fit the watch’s envelope as well as possible, so that it fits perfectly on the wrist.

3/ MiVue C595W Dual video recorder

The Mio brand unveils its latest piece of kit: the MiVue C595W Dual. The front camera is equipped with all the necessary features for high-quality recordings like the well-known STARVIS sensor with a bright lens, GPS, Wi-Fi. Completing the set is the MiVue T35 rear camera. With such a set, the driver can be sure that his vehicle is adequately protected from the front and rear.

GEAR

The video recorder has built-in GPS and Wi-Fi modules. Thanks to the Sony STARVIS CMOS sensor, the recordings are of high quality even with minimal light, which ensures the detail of the video recording.

One of the more useful features of the Mio MIVue C595WD camera is speed camera warning. The MiVue C595WD camera will warn not only against them, but also against sectional speed measurement. The video recorder shows the distance and time in seconds to an approaching speed camera, indicates the speed limit and provides information about the average speed over the measured section. This innovative feature offered by Mio will protect you from receiving a speeding ticket.

The Mio MiVue C595W Dual is equipped with a supercapacitor, which has a much longer life than a regular battery. It does not need to be replaced as often or recharging.

4/ Numia Neo 5G gaming smartphone

The gaming smartphone from ZTE features a unique partially transparent finish. On the front is a large 6.6” IPS LCD screen with a FHD+ resolution of 1080x2408 pixels with a high density of 400 ppi. The refresh rate of the screen has been cranked up to 120 Hz, which significantly improves the smoothness of the image during gaming and quick scene changes. The nubia Neo 5G has a 6nm octa-core Unisoc T820 chipset, and a Mali-G57 processor is re-

sponsible for graphics. The smartphone runs very efficiently thanks to 8GB of RAM, expandable by another 10GB. In addition to this, the smartphone has 256 GB of internal memory - a lot for any data in the form of files, photos, apps and documents. The nubia Neo 5G has a 50 MP main camera, supported by a second 2 MP lens for macro. This allows you to take top-quality photos and record videos at 1080p 30fps. The nubia Neo 5G offers advanced connectivity features, including, most notably, support for 5G technology for smooth web surfing and online gaming convenience. Internally, the smartphone has a 4,500mAh battery with 22.5W fast charging and a special multi-layer heat dissipation system.

WITHOUT ELECTRICITY AGAINST THE TREND

Mazda CX 60 3.3 e-Skyactiv D, Takumi

Story and photos by Bartosz Grzybiński

At a time of electromobility, when many automotive brands are abandoning traditional internal combustion engines in favor of electric or at least hybrid ones – Japanese Mazda, as if against the tide of this worldwide trend, is offering its latest CX60 SUV also with a diesel engine.

The Mazda CX 60 is a five-door midrange SUV (D) that arrived on the market in the spring of 2022. The model is available as a PHEV hybrid, with a 4-cylinder gasoline engine of 2. 5 liter and an electric motor with a combined system output of 327 hp, and as a “soft” hybrid MHEV, with a six-cylinder inline diesel engine backed by an electric motor with a combined output of 200 hp in the RWD version - with rear-wheel drive, or 254 hp, in the 4WD version - with drive to both axles. The car is

4.74 meters long, 1.94 meters wide and 1.68 meters high. In terms of exterior dimensions, it is the largest Mazda model currently offered in our market.

The body silhouette is the quintessence of the brand’s design art - minimalism and pure form are the two most distinctive features of the design of the latest Mazda models. Large body planes and artful details. The front is dominated by the radiator air intake (grill) joined by a decorative chrome strip to the narrow headlights. The side lines are drawn as if in one stroke, and what is immediately noticeable is the change in proportions compared to other SUV models on offer, namely the elongated front hood. This has given the body a more sporty character. The rear part is again an absolute minimalism, narrow lamps overlapping deeply on the fenders and two, double exhaust tips. The body body is set on tires in the size of 235 ƒ50 and attractive 20-inch aluminum wheels. The Mazda CX60 may or may not appeal to you, but certainly no one will pass by

THE MAXIMUM TORQUE OF THIS ENGINE - 550 NM. IS OBTAINED IN THE RANGE 1500-2400 RPM, SO THAT THE ENORMOUS POWER IS VERY SMOOTHLY TRANSMITTED TO ALL WHEELS THROUGH AN 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

the car indifferently. In my opinion, it is one of the most attractive cars in this segment that has appeared on the market in recent years.

The interior is very compatible with the exterior. It is dominated by stylistic minimalism combined with ergonomics and high-quality natural trim materials and the ubiquitous Nappa leather. The cabin is spacious and accommodates five adult passengers. At their disposal is a 570-liter trunk. When the rear bench seat backrest is folded down, its capacity can increase to 1,726 l. Can it get any better? The position behind the wheel is very good, visibility despite the long hood is also good, ergonomics and operation of on-board equipment are even exemplary. The driver can choose from three driving modes: normal, sport and off-road. The driving mode selection switch is located next to the gear lever - in the center tunnel, and each mode has its own view displayed on the driver’s cockpit display. The 17.5 cm ground clearance admittedly doesn’t allow for off-road driving, but the all-wheel drive will certainly do well on slippery and wet surfaces. Add to this the equipment, which in the presented, richest version of the Takumi is practically complete and includes all the comfort and safety elements that can be available on the market, and what more do you want? Maybe just start the engine and try how this stylistic marvel drives.

Under the hood of the test car is a (note!) 3.3-liter inline six-cylinder diesel engine with a common-rail direct injection system, (supplemented by a soft MHEV hybrid) with a maximum output of 254 hp. Not quite a “traditional” motor, but still naturally aspirated, with a capacity of more than three liters. And again against the current, as if against the ubiquitous trend of downsizing, i.e. the use of small-displacement units whose high power is obtained thanks to turbochargers. The maximum torque of this engine - 550 Nm. is obtained in the range 1500-2400 rpm, so that the enormous power is very smoothly transmitted to all wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Weighing 1,860 kg, the car can be accelerated to 100 km/h in just 7.4 seconds and travels at a top speed of 219 km/h. The virtues of this unit are not only its unprecedented technical performance, but also its usability. Average combustion quoted by the manufacturer is 5.3 liters of diesel fuel for every 100 kilometers driven. Test drives confirmed

THE INTERIOR IS VERY COMPATIBLE WITH THE EXTERIOR. IT IS DOMINATED

estingly, when driving, especially in sport mode, the bass sound of the engine is clearly audible, which is reminiscent of real six-cylinder engines.

The Mazda CX60 with this drive can really surprise, and in many ways. Combining the dynamics and flexibility of the engine with its economy and high operating culture seems almost impossible. In my opinion, this is one of the best drives that is available on the automotive market. If you add to this the attractive exterior design and very rich equipment, even the price of the presented car (about PLN 300,000) seems to be fully acceptable.

NAPPA LEATHER

BY STYLISTIC MINIMALISM COMBINED WITH ERGONOMICS AND HIGH-QUALITY NATURAL TRIM MATERIALS AND THE UBIQUITOUS

these figures. Not only that, it’s one of the few models in which you can get low combustion without being a fan of “eco driving”. This is because an integral part of Mazda’s propulsion system is a small 12 kW (16.3 hp) electric motor located between the transmission and the combustion engine. The Mild Hybrid system not only supports the operation of the combustion engine when starting or accelerating, eliminating the “turbocharging” effect, but also allows the combustion engine to be completely switched off when the driver takes his foot off the accelerator. During this time, energy is recovered and stored in a 0.33 kWh battery. With gentle use of the accelerator pedal, it is also possible to drive using only the electric motor, making the operation of Mazda’s Mild Hybrid system similar to that of a classic hybrid. That’s why Mazda’s powertrain is so remarkably economical, even when driving in the city. Suffice it to say that a fuel tank with a capacity of 58 liters allows you to drive more than 1,000 kilometers in urban conditions. Another advantage is the high engine culture and good soundproofing of the passenger cabin. Inter-

POLAND‘S ECONOMIC CREDIBILITY STILL LOW

Poland’s weaknesses are the state of public finances, the complexity and volatility of the tax system, the stability of monetary policy and the rule of law.

“The economy and economic activity are based on credibility. Its weakening makes the economy more vulnerable, that is, less resilient to shocks and crises. We are not realizing our economic potential. The less reliable the state, the higher the cost of doing business, servicing debt, possible inflationary pressure. The level of credibility also matters for the quality of governance, and its weakening means an increase in the uncertainty of the rules,” said Prof. Jerzy Hausner, chairman of the OEES Program Council and head of the research group that has been developing the Index of Economic Credibility (IWE) for the past three years. The purpose of the analysis is to determine to what extent the changing economic credibility of the state affects foreign and domestic business assessments of whether the authorities will ensure balance in the economy and stability of business operating conditions - a declining economic credibility of the state breeds uncertainty, and this inherently reduces the amount of investment returns expected by businesses.

Included in this edition of the Index are: Poland, the Czech Republic,

Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. The value of the overall index for all countries analyzed is negative. The lowest for Hungary -2.48, the highest, although on the negative side, for the Czech Republic: -0.2. In the case of Poland, it is -1.25, slightly better than a year earlier (-1.78), but significantly worse than two years ago.

To determine the IWE, economists analyzed eight areas of economic and social life on the basis of 87 indicators over nine from 2015 to 2023. These are: the rule of law, freedom of economic activity, reliability of public finances, stability of the financial system, protection and

safety at work, quality of public services, environment and climate, and respect for international obligations.

One of the most serious problems is the credibility of public finances.

Stanisław Dudek, president of the Institute of Public Finance, draws attention to the lack of transparency. He reminds that Article 219 of the Constitution, requires financial management to be open, transparent, under democratic control, i.e. under parliamentary control.

In the last year, the Czech Republic was the fastest to reduce the credibility deficit in this area, while the deepest remained in Hungary.

MERCEDES-BENZ RECORD SALES GROWTH

Mercedes-Benz has recorded an impressive increase in new passenger car registrations in the Polish market. From January to March, their number increased by 49.9%, to 6,431 units.

The list of the most popular models is opened by the bestselling GLC with a score of 883 (+5.2%). It was followed by compact cars: GLB (575, +182%), CLA (550, +102%) and GLC Coupe (499, +125%). The top five is rounded out by the GLE, which achieved a 10% increase in sales in the first quarter in Poland and went to 433 buyers. The highest jump in popularity was recorded by the new E-Class (366, +289%). Compact SUVs with electric drive were also in high demand: EQA (104, +96%) and EQE (70, +7.7%).

“The very high availability of cars at dealers in Poland contributed to the good result. Mercedes-Benz’s

Prof. Jerzy Hausner

growth in the first quarter is significantly higher than that of competing brands and ensures the manufacturer the eighth position in the ranking of the most popular brands and a 4.6% share in the domestic automotive market,” said Tomasz Mucha, Corporate and Product Manager Mercedes-Benz Cars, Mercedes-Benz Polska Sp. z o.o.

Sales of Mercedes-Benz Cars worldwide in the first quar-

ter reached 463,000 units. Good results were achieved in all regions with the exception of Asia, where model changes and supply chain bottlenecks had a temporary strong impact on the number of deliveries. The decline recorded in China was mainly due to the ongoing roll-out of the new long wheelbase E-Class, which is very popular there; sales are expected to increase in the coming quarters.

ORLEN TO DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF GAS FROM NORWAY

PGNiG Upstream Norway of the Orlen Group has bought an additional 19.5% stake in the Eirin gas field in the North Sea from Equinor Energy. Two new wells will be drilled there, which will produce gas as early as the second half of 2025. Thanks to this investment, the volume of gas the Group will obtain in total from the Eirin field will almost double - to more than 1.5 billion cubic meters.

The Eirin field is located in the North Sea, about 250 km west of Stavanger, Norway. It is one of the key resource bases for the whole of Europe: the field’s reserves amount to about 27 million barrels, of which more than 85% is natural gas.

“As we pursue our aspirations for our own oil and gas production, we are now taking care to maximize the efficiency of our investments and build shareholder value. Eirin is a mature project that will begin production as early as next year. Production will be carried out using the already existing infrastructure at our nearby Gina Krog field. This will shorten development time and reduce operating costs, while reducing the CO2 intensity associated with production,” said Ireneusz Fąfara, CEO of Orlen.

The implementation of the transaction will enable the Group to further increase its own natural gas production and contribute to the optimization of the company’s operations on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Drilling at the Eirin field is scheduled to begin in the third quarter, and production is expected to start in the second half of 2025. Two production wells will be drilled at the field, from which gas will be transmitted via an offshore pipeline to a platform at the Gina Krog

field, in which the Group also holds a 41.3% stake. Equalizing the size of the Group’s stakes in Gina Krog and Eirin will optimize the cost of managing the jointly operated fields.

“The Eirin and Gina Krog fields are part of the Sleipner production area, which is one of Orlen’s main production hubs on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The area currently accounts for about one-third of the company’s total production in Norway. The launch of production from the Eirin field will enable a more efficient use of the hub’s infrastructure and extend the prospect of economic exploitation of the assets that make up the hub,” said Wiesław Prugar, Orlen board member for Upstream.

The Gina Krog platform is powered by electricity produced onshore, which comes almost 100% from renewable energy sources, primarily hy-

droelectric power plants. As a result, the platform’s production emission intensity is very low, and will amount to about 0.7 kg of CO2 per barrel of oil equivalent produced this year, while the average for the entire Norwegian Continental Shelf is about 8 kg per barrel. Connecting Eirin to Gina Krog may allow further reduction of the platform’s emission intensity by increasing the volume of crude processed, while keeping the total absolute volume of emissions at a comparable level.

PGNiG Upstream Norway currently operates 19 fields and is developing nine more for production. Last year, the company produced nearly 27 million barrels of oil equivalent, including more than 3 billion cubic meters of gas. The company expects to increase gas production to 4 billion cubic meters this year.

HRG CONTINUES ITS EXPANSION

As of June 1st, HR Group took over 34 hotels, including 2 projects, from Centro Holding, as well as Centro Hotel Management GmbH, enriching their portfolio in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. This transaction thereby includes 18 affiliated hotel companies as well as the management platform in Hamburg. This addition results in over 2,800 rooms coming on board.

Ruslan Husry

The acquired hotels are strategically positioned in the midscale segment, catering to the needs of business and city travellers. They offer modern design, contemporary services, and locations that are often central. The hotels operate under the brands Centro Hotels, NinetyNine, FourSide, Boutique and NYCE in cities such as Frankfurt, Munich, Cologne, Salzburg, Amsterdam, Ulm. All employees of the hotels as well as the headquarters in Hamburg will be retained, ensuring their continued professional growth and stability.

Ruslan Husry says, “I am thrilled to have the Centro hotels to the HR Group. As the largest multi-brand hotel operator in Europe, we will manage these lifestyle hotels and leverage our operational expertise and cutting-edge digitalisation to perfectly position them in the market. We are truly impactful combination!”

HR Group is a multi-brand hotel company with more than 15 years of experience in operating hotels across Europe. The company is growing rapidly and currently operates more than 180 properties, including six Vienna House by Wyndham in Poland. The Polish hotels represent the midto high-end business and conference segment and are located in Kraków, Warsaw, Łódź, Katowice and Międzyzdroje. Recently this year the

company has taken over Grandhotel Belvedere in Davos, Boutique Hotel in Westerland on Sylt and Boutique Hotel Group Vagabond Club. In 2023 HR Group entered the Asian market and in Poland is present since 2022.

“The power of imagination makes us infinite. With our unique set of great people, excellent market knowledge, tremendous track record and a vast variety of successful co-operations with financial institutions, all combined with our passion and dedication for success – we want to and will expand our business gradually,” says Husry, the company owner. Regarding Polish market he admitted: “Our expansion strategy includes Poland as well. We are privileged to collaborate with exceptional franchise partners and continuously seek discussions with those we deem an ideal fit for specific locales. Here I can think of collaborating with Accor or IHG or other partners. In Poland, Vienna House by Wyndham predominantly represents us at the moment, opening up possibilities for other concepts and further expanding our brands. Among these is Revo, a Hotel-Living concept with tremendous success in its Munich launch. And it goes without saying that quality and the fulfillment of brand standards are firmly anchored in our strategy. Ongoing investments are a matter of course.”

POLISH READY MEALS FACTORY CHANGES OWNERSHIP

The Konspol production plant in Nowy Sącz, which since 2018 has been owned by the American company Cargill, is changing hands. The French-owned Drosed thus wants to enter the ready meals segment.

Founded in 1982 in Nowy Sącz, Konspol specializes in the production of ready meals, such as breaded chicken fries, cheeseburgers, Devolay rolls with cheese and dumplings. It also offers fresh meat. In 2018, the factory was acquired by Cargill.

The Americans entered into a conditional agreement with the French-controlled company to sell the factory. The deal does not include the integrated chicken supply chain opera-

tions in Słupca and Gierłatów, which remain with Cargill. The operation is expected to be finalized this year.

The factory currently employs about 600 workers.

Drosed, headquartered in Siedlce, has been owned by French giant L.D.C., one of Europe’s leading poultry producers, since 2000. Drosed employs more than 3,000 people. The company specializes in the production of poultry meats, which it sells under such brands as Zagrodowy, Drosed, Podlaski and Drop. Its turnover exceeds PLN 3 million a year.

With the transaction, Drosed will enter a new food segment. “This acquisition will enable us to enter the ready

meals segment with the strong Konspol brand, which is in line with the strategic directions of our development. With this transaction, the Drosed Group is not only developing its production capabilities, but also gaining an experienced and professional team,” Drosed CEO Adam Sojka told the Rzeczpospolita daily.

“We operate in many markets, but the most important market for us, and the one we focus on, is the Polish market. The poultry industry is consolidating and investments are necessary. We are ready for it. The Drosed Group is determined to continue to grow dynamically and meet the challenges posed by the market,” he added.

MULTIMILLION COMPENSATION FOR THE POLISH POST OFFICE

The Ministry of State Assets has signed an agreement with the Polish Post Office to pay compensation for the provision of the so-called universal service in 2021-2022. The figure is PLN 750 million. However, this is not enough. The situation of the largest postal operator in the domestic market remains dire.

The process related to the receipt by Polish Post Office of compensation for the provision of the so-called universal service lasted from December 2022 and required the approval of the European Commission and then the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE). It was finally achieved only after this year’s amendments to the Postal Law. At the end of March, President Andrzej Duda signed the amended Law,

which provides for the transfer of PLN 2.052 billion to Polish Post Office from subsidies to fund the universal service obligation in 2024 and 2025. It also raises the maximum limit on spending from the state budget to finance the net cost of the universal service obligation of the designated postal operator to PLN 750 million in 2024 and to PLN 1 billion 302 million in 2025.

This compensation will only cover the costs already incurred, which means that it will not translate into a lasting improvement in the situation of the national postal operator. The company’s financial situation remains very difficult. The company ended last year with a loss of nearly PLN 750 million.

“The situation is extremely difficult. The condition for continued operation in the market is a comprehensive transformation. Carrying out this process is a priority for the board of directors,” company representatives wrote in April.

Less than a month later, postal workers protested. A two-hour warning strike took place on May 16. The board’s position indicated that the unionists’ demands would cost the company more than PLN 1 billion a year.

Polish Post Office is the largest postal operator in the domestic market. It employs more than 66,000 people, and its network includes 7,600 outlets, branches and postal agencies throughout Poland.

POLAND NEEDS TO TIGHTEN MONETARY POLICY

Poland should raise the bar on monetary easing sharply in view of rising spending on infrastructure, climate change and security, said Geoff Gottlieb, IMF representative for Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe.

”The current budget deficit is large and will need to narrow over time, both to ultimately curb the growth of public debt and to comply with new European Union fiscal rules,” he said. “A strengthening economy and inflation above the inflation target will be the two factors that will sooner or later argue for a tightening of monetary policy,” he added.

The European Commission expects the Polish deficit to rise to 5.4% of GDP this year, one of the highest in the Union, and to remain above the EU limit of 3% next year.

“For this year, we foresee a massive increase in borrowing needs to the highest level ever, not only due to a very loosened monetary policy, but also record redemptions (of debt securities),” economists at ING Group said in a note. “With slightly higher issuance needs and declining demand for

(Polish government bonds) POLGBs, we see scope for further Eurobond issuance of a decent amount, even above our earlier expectation of just under USD 16 billion,” they added.

Authorities in Warsaw are trying to negotiate an exemption from the EU’s excessive deficit procedure. Large spending needs have already prevented

ASTARA APPOINTS NEW HEAD IN POLAND

Astara Western Europe, the exclusive importer of Nissan, Mitsubishi and Isuzu vehicles in Poland, has announced the appointment of Piotr Laube as Country Manager. In his new role, Laube will be responsible for managing Astara’s operations in Poland reporting directly to Olivier Sermeus, managing director of Astara Western Europe.

Laube joined Astara’s team in Poland in September 2023, having held senior positions at BMW Group Poland and Inchcape for the past 15 years. He is a manager with extensive experience in the automotive sector and a successful track record in the areas of business development and customer satisfaction.

“We are pleased with Piotr’s new role at Astara in Poland,” said Sermeus. “His extensive experience in the Polish automotive market and his passion for customer service are important assets in strengthening our leading position among importers of Japanese cars in Poland,” he added. As Country Manager, Laube will continue to serve as head of the Nissan brand in Poland.

Piotr Szewczyk and Radosław Przybyt will be responsible for managing the Mitsubishi and Isuzu brands, as before.

“I am honored to take on this new challenge,” Laube said. “Astara has established itself as a key player in the Polish automotive market with its portfolio of innovative, high-quality cars

the realization of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s costliest election promise, an increase in the amount of tax-free income. The Civic Coalition (KO) narrowly defeated Law and Justice (PiS) in the European Parliament elections, but faces a key presidential election in 2025.

Meeting Poland’s rising spending while bringing the budget deficit under control will require careful decisions. “One clear conclusion is that the bar for further discretionary easing should be suspended very high, as this will only increase the need for adjustment from other sources. Because of this challenge, it is encouraging that Poland intends to redesign its fiscal rules, which would provide a better basis for decisions (taken later) on public finances,” Gottlieb said.

Public finance debt is expected to rise to 60.6% in 2026 and to 63.2% in 2027 - reported the Finance Ministry in late April, and the current limit is 60% of GDP. Finance Minister Andrzej Domański said Warsaw will take steps to increase transparency in public finances, including the creation of a council to monitor government policies.

from the Nissan, Mitsubishi and Isuzu brands. I look forward to the prospect of working with these teams and continuing to build on their success to strengthen Astara’s position and make it a leader among automotive groups in our country,” he added.

Geoff Gottlieb

Piotr Laube