THE RACE IS ON
Next year’s presidential election will determine whether the ruling liberal coalition will gain full power (Page 4)
BAL C oroczny XV
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Table of contents
POLITICS AND SOCIETY
The Race Has Begun 4-7
Poland Begins to Lead Europe 8-9
Record Arms Purchases, Safe Borders 10-13
ECONOMY
Budget Approved, Interest Rates Still 14-15
CULTURE
Cultural Program of the Polish Presidency 16
Michał Urbaniak Organator 17
THE BUZZ | 18-25
Academy of Fine Arts in Focus
From Love for Folk Embroidery Art. Masters of Musical Landscapes at Warsaw Philharmonic Memory Enchanted in Objects Warsaw’s Cuisine Evolution Opioid History on Music Stage
Pros and Cons of Being an Actor Reclaiming History Through Art
Pretender: Mazda CX-80 3.3 e-Skyactiv D, Homura Plus 30-33
More and More Serious Debtors Parcel Industry Giant Goes for More Polish Flying Scooter Intends to Conquer the World Record Money for Farmers Canadians Ready to Co-Finance Polish Atom More and More Working Foreigners Okęcie’s Expansion Cheaper by Half Black Future of Lignite
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THE RACE HAS BEGUN
Officially, there is no election campaign in Poland. In practice, the presidential candidates have been carrying out their activities for many weeks.
The candidate of the ruling party chosen in the primaries; the candidate of the former ruling party running as a “civic” candidate; the candidate of the party forming the ruling coalition running as an “independent”; the candidate of the radical-nationalist party that started pre-campaigning at the earliest; two or three candidates of the Left; the candidate of a marginal Republican group that claims to have been “asked by the people to run” - this was the list of those willing to replace Andrzej Duda in the Presidential Palace.
The outcome of the presidential election, which will be held on a Sunday in May (the date will be set by the Speaker of the Sejm in mid-January - at which time the campaign
Dr. Karol Nawrocki
will be officially inaugurated), will determine the country’s new political situation. Either all power will pass into the hands of the current ruling coalition, which took over after the October 15, 2023 elections, or the United Right will retain a trump ace in the form of a head of state, capable - as Andrzej Duda is currently doing - of obstructing the transition process after 8 years of right-wing rule (2015-2023).
In this situation, there is no doubt that the decisive clash will be between Civic Coalition (KO) and Law and Justice (PiS) candidates - Rafał Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki.
Trzaskowski (53), the incumbent Warsaw Mayor, defeated Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski in the KO primaries, scoring almost 75%. More than 22,000 people took part in the vote.
His political career gained momentum when, in 20002001, he served as an advisor to the secretary of the Committee for European Integration, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski. After several years of advising the Civic Platform (PO) delegation to the European Parliament, he became an MEP in 2009. There he took part in key negotiations on the EU budget for 2014-2020. He was later appointed Minister of Administration and Digitization in Donald Tusk’s first cabinet. As minister, he dealt with cyber security issues and the integration of people with disabilities into online content.
In 2015, he won an MP seat as leader of the PO list in Kraków. In 2017, PO and Nowoczesna jointly fielded his candidacy for mayor of Warsaw. His victory in the first round, where he received 56.6% support, strengthened his political position.
As mayor of the capital, Trzaskowski strongly supported the rights of sexual minorities and promoted LGBT+ demands. In doing so, he won the favor of progressive circles, but at the same time faced harsh criticism from the right.
In 2020, Trzaskowski took on the challenge of running in the presidential election as a candidate of the Civic Coalition,
replacing Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska. Although he ultimately lost to Andrzej Duda, he won more than 10 million votes. In 2024, he won re-election as Mayor of Warsaw in the first round of voting with a score of 57.41%.
He speaks five languages: English, French, Spanish, Russian and Italian.
On November 24, at a civic congress in Kraków, the Law and Justice endorsed the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) head’s candidacy in the presidential election. On November 30, PiS Political Council confirmed its support for Karol Nawrocki. He is not a member of PiS, and has never belonged to any political party. He is running in the elections as a “civic” candidate, supported by the Civic Committee of Support for Presidential Candidate Dr. Karol Nawrocki. The committee is made up of politicians, journalists, cultural figures, economists, historians, political scientists and athletes.
Despite his non-partisanship, Nawrocki is associated with the Law and Justice circles. PiS was considering him as a potential candidate it would support in the presidential election, alongside party activists - the head of the parliamentary caucus and former Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak, former Education and Science Minister Przemysław Czarnek and current MEP Tobiasz Bocheński. The party was expected to decide whether to support Nawrocki based on studies that checked the chances of individual presidential candidates in the elections. It is unofficially known that the research showed that Czarnek, Nawrocki’s most serious rival, has too large a negative electorate. Nawrocki (41), a historian by education, has worked at the Institute of National Remembrance since 2009, with a break from 2017-2021, when he served as director of the
AS
MAYOR
OF THE CAPITAL, TRZASKOWSKI STRONGLY SUPPORTED THE RIGHTS OF SEXUAL MINORITIES AND PROMOTED LGBT+ DEMANDS
World War II Museum in Gdańsk. In 2021 was elected by parliament as president of the IPN.
The right-wing candidate was once a promising boxer, temporarily worked as a security guard at the famous Grand Hotel in Sopot and also founded a martial arts club in Gdańsk. Acquaintances from this period of his life became the cause of political attacks - some of Nawrocki’s colleagues at the time later became criminals. He himself explained that he “met all sorts of people on the training slides” and could not be held responsible for this.
When asked whether Andrzej Duda would appear in Nawrocki’s election campaign, Head of the President’s Office Małgorzata Paprocka said that it is not the role of the head of state to get involved in such matters. She added that “the president congratulated Karol Nawrocki on receiving the party’s support in the elections.”
Szymon Hołownia, Speaker of the Sejm and leader of Poland 2050, a party in the ruling coalition, announced on November 13 that he will run in the presidential elections.
Rafał Trzaskowski
“I have made the decision that I will run as an independent candidate. This independence is a key value for me, not only as a politician - but first and foremost as a human being,” reads Hołownia’s statement.
The politician, formerly a well-known journalist and presenter of popular TV talk shows, argued that he is “independent from political pressure, from prime ministers or party bosses. Independent from prejudice, from the need to impose one’s own views on others. And finally, independent from aggressive conflicts that distort the essence and meaning of public service, which politics should be.”
“On October 15, 2023, voters chose a vision of a diverse Poland, a Poland in which there is room for cooperation and polyphony, not the monopoly of one giga-party or another. I want Poland to regain hope and gain the opportunity to elect someone more than just another party candidate. We Poles deserve more. And we should get more,” the Poland 2050 leader’s declaration proclaims.
The leader of Poland 2050 announced his run exactly one year after he was elected Speaker of the Polish Sejm.
Holownia (48) ran for president of Poland in the previous election in 2020, and won nearly 14% of the vote in the first round, finishing third after Andrzej Duda and Rafał Trzaskowski.
After the election, Holownia founded a new political grouping, Poland 2050, of which he became chairman in March 2022. In May 2023, Poland 2050 formed an electoral alliance with the agrarian Polish People’s Party (PSL). The new political formation took the name Third Way. In the October 15, 2023 elections, it won 14.4% of the vote, finishing third.
The politician declares himself a practicing Catholic and vegetarian. He has twice been to the novitiate of the Dominican order.
The Supreme Council of the PSL has adopted by acclamation a resolution to support the candidacy of Hołownia. Thus, the party decided not to put up its own candidate.
“The PSL Supreme Council, and by extension the entire Party, will support this candidacy, will support the campaign. We will be actively involved in all the activities that are needed to unite Poland and the Poles,” PSL Chairman Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister in Donald Tusk’s government, announced. “We can proudly say that we have our own candidate, who is not only the candidate of one environment, but the candidate of several political environments, and will be, above all, the candidate of all citizens, we very much count on this,” he stressed.
Hołownia thanked his “friends from the PSL” for supporting his candidacy in the presidential elections. “For more than a year we have been walking the Third Way together. We differ, but we prove that in this diversity lies our strength. Now it’s time to take the next step together - an independent president. Because only such a president will allow us to build Poland for generations, not a term. In today’s, so difficult, times we need a president who will be able to unite Poland and take the side of the people,” he wrote in the X service.
Sławomir Mentzen started first; he was announced as the candidate of the radical-nationalist Confederation in late August, immediately went on a tour of Poland. By early December he had visited 65 towns and cities.
“I am not running an election campaign, so there is nothing to finance. On the other hand, I finance my political activity mostly by myself. I’ve spent quite a lot, but it’s my private business how much I spend on my hobbies,” he told private television news channel Polsat News in late November.
Szymon Hołownia
Mentzen (38), an entrepreneur, tax consultant and PhD in economic sciences, emerged in Polish politics as a 21-yearold activist with the radical right-wing Union of Realpolitik. He is now the leader of the right-wing New Hope and co-chairman (with Krzysztof Bosak) of the Confederation. He has been in parliament since the October 15, 2023 elections, when he won 5.19% of the vote in the Warsaw district.
He is the most popular Polish politician on TikTok, with 40 million views, and on YouTube, with 180 million views and 600,000 subscribers.
The politician portrays himself as a monarchist and a eurosceptic.
He has Asperger’s Syndrome, diagnosed by specialists.
The Deputy Speaker of the Senate will be the New Left’s candidate in the presidential election. The decision was made by acclamation by the National Council of the New Left. Magdalena Biejat was announced as the “girl next door” who will fight for the Presidential Palace.
“Will it be a gym boy [Nawrocki?] or will it be a palace boy [Trzaskowski?]? I believe in the fact that it will be the girl next door,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digitization Krzysztof Gawkowski.
In 2020, leftist presidential candidate, current New Left co-chairman Robert Biedroń got just over 2% in the first round of elections.
Left politicians are hoping that the strategic direction taken by the staff of Trzaskowski, unquestioned leader in the polls - meetings in small and medium-sized towns, criticism of globalization, etc. - will make it easier for a progressive candidate like Biejat to solicit votes. Among other things, housing issues will be key. “Installments must be lower and housing cheaper. A roof over the head of every Polish family is more important than the greed of banks,” the New Left candidate said.
Biejat (43), a graduate of universities in Granada and Madrid, was a translator of Spanish literature. Affiliated with the leftist movement since 2015, she received nearly 205,000 votes in the 2023 Senate elections. She was elected deputy speaker of the upper house of parliament on November 13. In local elections, she ran for mayor of Warsaw, receiving the third result with 12.86%. She is married, has two children, and declares herself a vegetarian.
However, Biejat is unlikely to be the only candidate associated with the left; radical leftist Razem (Together) is
also planning to put up its own candidate, and there are many indications that it will be the group’s co-chairman Adrian Zandberg. A decision on this matter is expected in early January.
If this type of scenario comes true, not only will the two former close associates of Razem (Biejat, former co-leader of Razem, resigned a few weeks ago in protest of the party’s position, which announced a move to opposition to the Tusk government) clash in the May electoral duel, but the chances of a decent electoral result will also drop significantly. Besides, it is not ruled out that the third left-wing party, the Labor Union, will also put up its candidate, who could be the current senator Waldemar Witkowski. Thus, the recent statement by former Prime Minister and leader of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) Leszek Miller, who, when asked about a leftist presidential candidate, replied “I don’t know who it will be and it doesn’t matter.” seems increasingly legitimate.
The last of the politically active presidential candidates in the May elections is Marek Jakubiak (65), an entrepreneur in the beer industry (Mentzen is also successful in this field), a member of the three-member parliamentary group Free Republicans, and a former politician of the anti-regime Kukiz’15. Despite having scored 0.17% in the previous presidential election, Jakubiak declared that “the people asked him to run” and expressed confidence that this time his result would be at least in double digits.
Sławomir Mentzen
Magdalena Biejat
Marek Jakubiak
POLAND BEGINS TO LEAD EUROPE
At the beginning of 2025, Poland will assume the presidency of the Council of the European Union for the second time - thirteen years after the first presidency and twenty years after joining the European Union.
The foundation of the Polish Presidency’s activities will be security in seven dimensions: external, energy, economic, food, health, information and internal. The slogan accompanying the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU is “Security, Europe!”. It underscores Poland’s determination to ensure that the security context is always taken into account in fundamental European issues.
Expectations for Poland in Brussels are enormous. It’s hard to think of a more significant moment both domestically and internationally. On January 20, President Donald Trump takes power in the US. This mood of confident anticipation - possibly for historic international events - is palpable in Brussels.
“Perhaps this will be the most difficult six months in decades,” EU Commissioner Piotr Serafin warned in a speech in Brussels, during a conference at the Permanent Representation of Poland. He also spoke of common challenges facing the Commission and the Presidency, such as arranging relations - including trade relations - with the new US administration.
The role and expectations for Serafin - one of Polish PM Donald Tusk’s most trusted men - are also enormous. So is the scale of the challenges facing Poland’s presidency - also in the context of the ending (this is welcomed in Brussels with relief) of the Hungarian presidency.
Tusk stressed that the Polish presidency will not be routine. “Our priorities are not routine. The Polish presidency is not about making these next six months pass somehow,” he said.
The head of government noted the challenges that await the European Union, especially in the context of the situation in eastern Europe. “Breakthroughs await us, perhaps, regarding war and peace east of our border,” he said, adding that a ‘deep adjustment of some European priorities’ is needed.
The Polish Prime Minister noted that Europe has delayed taking a tough stance on Russia for too long. “Everyone is already slowly maturing to this, but I will say without malicious satisfaction - it has taken far too long in Europe for our partners to understand that the issue of security, a realistic assessment of our relations with Russia is a fundamental issue for the future of the entire EU,” he said. He stressed that
Piotr Serafin, EU Commissioner
priorities such as security, sovereignty and a unified policy towards Russia must become a reality. “All of this will be one of those key priorities, and it will also require a policy with a capital P,” he noted.
Tusk called for a “full awakening” of Europe, the rejection of illusions and the ability to go on the political offensive. “We must become an organism that is capable not only of survival, but also of political offensive,” he said. He also expressed determination to promote the Polish point of view. “We will be very determined to make Europe start thinking about many issues in Polish (...) in these fundamental issues, especially security, it has often been the case that we were right, but we were not wanted to be listened to,” he concluded.
Poland will coordinate the work of the Union for six months, and will be able to set the tone and direction. Tusk - recognized in Brussels as one of the most important EU leaders - is well aware of this. Especially since, against the backdrop of the troubles in France and Germany, Poland is increasingly recognized as a country that not only can, but must, set the tone, as in the case of migration.
With regard to food security, the focus will be on the future of competitive and crisis-proof agriculture. The EU’s actions should protect its vulnerable sectors and ensure that non-EU producers comply with EU standards of food quality and safety and sustainability. The Polish presidency will strive to shape a strong Common Agricultural Policy, which should encourage, rather than force, farmers to take measures that protect the environment and show the benefits of combating and preventing the effects of climate change.
THE
POLISH PRESIDENCY
NOT ONLY HAS AN INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION, BUT ALSO COUNTS INTERNALLY
The calendar of the Polish Presidency includes official and informal meetings taking place in Poland, Brussels, but also around the world, including high-level meetings, official and expert meetings, and events organized as part of the cultural program. Over the coming six months, Poland alone will host 22 informal councils (ministerial meetings), more than 300 official side meetings, and our country will be visited by more than 40,000 guests from all over Europe, including heads and ministers of government of EU member states. The main national events will be held in Warsaw, but meetings are also planned throughout the country - in more than 20 cities, from Zakopane to Sopot.
The Polish presidency not only has an international dimension, but also counts internally. That’s because it will run during the presidential campaign period, in which EU affairs may play their part. The ruling Civic Coalition (KO) has promoted a “security trio” - Tusk, Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and presidential candidate Rafał Trzaskowski. So, the presidency will also be visible in the country.
The official website of the Polish Presidency: www.poland25.eu
Donald Tusk, Polish Prime Minister
RECORD ARMS PURCHASES, SAFE BORDERS
Poland’s spending on armaments is growing year by year. The ongoing and planned programs between 2022 and 2035 will consume PLN 713 billion.
This year, the government will spend PLN 53 billion on arms purchases for the Polish military, more than PLN 12 billion more than last year. Each year, until 2027, when it will reach PLN 73 billion, this spending will increase. After that, they will begin to gradually decrease, but even in 2035 they will be close to last year’s level.
In total, between 2024 and 2035, armaments will consume PLN 643 billion. Counting from 2022, the outbreak
of the war in Ukraine, which forced an increase in defense spending, this amount will be PLN 713 billion, equivalent to 20% of Poland’s GDP this year.
The most costly items in the Polish defense program are the purchase of K2PL tanks manufactured in South Korea (PLN 67.2 billion from 2027) and the purchase of a new generation of Polish Combat Infantry Vehicles “Borsuk” [Badger] (PLN 60 billion). Nearly PLN 53 billion will be consumed by the “Raven” program, as part of which the De-
fense Ministry will buy 96 American AH-64E Apache attack helicopters with armament. The HIMARS rocket artillery system will cost slightly less.
Poland holds the record in the EU for increased defense spending. According to the Stockholm Institute for Peace Research (SIPRI), Poland’s military was 75% higher in 2023 than the year before. This year they will increase by about 50%, and in 2025, as announced by Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz - they will increase by 10%.
Presidential Minister Jacek Siewiera, head of the National Security Bureau (BBN), called for the creation of a ministry dedicated exclusively to arms policy.
According to him, the new ministry should be created somewhat along the lines of the Korean DAPA (Defense Acquisition Program Administration). Its task should be to shape Polish armaments policy and navigate among the interests of private companies, the interests of the army, but also the state’s control over armaments.
The idea of establishing a new ministry is the aftermath of the fact that there is currently no single position in the government, no single institution that is responsible for Polish armaments policy. The Ministry of State Assets oversees the state armaments industry, the Ministry of Defense and the Armaments Agency are responsible for equipment purchases, and the Ministry of Development is supposed to set the overall directions for the industry. An inter-ministerial team for developing a strategy for the defense industry should be formed soon. It will include representatives of the three ministries.
The Ministry of State Assets has commissioned the Polish Economic Institute (PIE) to do a market analysis. It
HERE IS NO SINGLE COHERENT PLAN FOR WHAT CAPABILITIES IN THE DEFENSE SECTOR THE STATE SHOULD FUND, AND NO SINGLE BODY RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING SO
should receive it by the end of February at the latest. The entire strategy should be ready by the end of 2025.
A possible Ministry of Armaments could also create systemic support for the Polish armaments industry. Companies of the state-owned Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) still under the previous government submitted applications to the Chancellery of the Prime Minister for funding of several billion zlotys, only a small part has been considered to date. In June, a government resolution decided that the ministry would provide nearly PLN 4 billion to a consortium of PGZ Narew companies to build capabilities in the area of air and missile defense.
At the end of November, a law was passed that would see the state spend about PLN 3 billion on building munitions capabilities. The problem is that these initiatives are ad hoc measures . There is no single coherent plan for what capabilities in the defense sector the state should fund, and no
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Minister of National Defense
single body responsible for doing so. That would be the task of the armaments ministry.
Poland is also strengthening the fortification system on its eastern borders.
Shield East is an intelligently composed string of effective defense.
“This was a very modern idea of how to protect the border using various infrastructure elements, such as so-called concrete hedgehogs, anti-tank ditches, but also environmental elements,” Donald Tusk said during his visit in the area where work on the defense system is underway, noting
that there are 3,500 concrete elements in this first section alone. “By 2028, we will want to arm the Polish border in this way,” the PM announced.
“Shield East is a project to realistically increase security in the Warmian-Masurian, Podlasie, Lublin and Podkarpackie provinces. So there will also be better living here as a consequence,” he added, stressing that the government does not foresee ‘any forced displacement’ in connection with the construction of fortifications.
The concept for Shield East was developed at the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff of the Polish Army.
It’s a program involving the construction of various types of fortifications, terrain obstacles and military infrastructure on Poland’s borders with Russia and Belarus - a total of about 800 kilometers. The plans include the construction of reconnaissance and threat detection systems, forward bases, logistics hubs and warehouses, and the deployment of anti-drone systems.
The Norwegian Defense Ministry has announced that it will send F-35 fighter jets and NASAMS air defense systems to Rzeszów, where international military assistance to Ukraine is being coordinated. About 100 soldiers will also be sent.
“Ukraine is still in dire need of military support, and Poland is the most important logistical hub. In this way, Norway is contributing to ensuring that aid to Ukraine reaches its destination,” said Norwegian Defense Minister Bjoern Arild Gram.
“Starting in December, another strengthening of the security of our borders. Four Norwegian F35s and their air and air defense systems will protect our space and NATO’s eastern flank. Thank you very much to our allies from Norway!” Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on X.
The need to strengthen the security of Rzeszów airport was discussed by the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Tomasz Siemoniak back in May. Located less than 100 km from the Ukrainian border, the airport handles as much as 90% of Western equipment headed to the front line. It has also become a major stop for foreign officials visiting Kyiv.
The possibility of taking Rzeszów airport as a target has been repeatedly discussed by Russian propagandists this year. “The Polish airport in Rzeszów, the main transshipment base for Western weapons for Ukraine, is becoming an increasingly obvious target. But first we must warn and explain everything very clearly. And this we are doing. Because there are limits,” Dmitry Kiselyov, head of the state news agency Rossiya Segodnya, said in February.
BUDGET APPROVED, INTEREST RATES STILL
232 deputies from the Civic Coalition (KO), the Third Way [an electoral coalition of Poland 2050 and the agrarian Polish People’s Party (PSL)] and the Left voted in favor of the budget bill.
Unity of the Coalition exemplary,” Donald Tusk rejoiced after the vote. “The steamroller goes on”, the PM announced.
All but a few absent MPs of the three ruling coalition groups voted in favor of the budget. Out of 21 Left MPs, 17 voted in favor of the budget, three parliamentarians (Daria Gosek-Popiołek, Dorota Olko and Joanna Wicha, who recently left the radical leftist Razem) abstained, and New Left co-leader Włodzimierz Czarzasty did not take part in the vote.
Representatives of the former ruling Law and Justice (PiS), the radical-nationalist Confederation, Razem and members of the Free Republicans circle (including Pawel Kukiz and presidential wannabe Marek Jakubiak) voted against the draft budget for next year.
The law assumes that the budget’s revenues will amount to PLN 632.6 billion, expenditures will not exceed PLN 921.6 billion, and the deficit will reach a maximum of PLN 289 billion.
Adrian Zandberg, co-chairman of Razem, stressed that the “steamroller” mentioned by Tusk is “longer doctor’s lines, canceled surgeries” and “thousands of people who will lose their health because of it.” “This steamroller has just run over the salaries of budget workers, which will be eaten by inflation,” he added, stressing that ”there is nothing to brag about.”
Finance Minister Andrzej Domański assessed that the draft adopted by the Sejm is “a budget of security, investment and support for citizens.” “We have secured funds for key investments - the Central Transportation Port (CPK), investments in railroad infrastructure and Poland’s first nuclear power plant. There are funds for all important social
programs. We will provide a record 4.7% of GDP for defense next year,” he listed in his post.
The budget result after October is at a relatively low level, but its implementation may accelerate in the last two months of this year, Domański argued. According to Finance Ministry estimates, the state budget recorded a deficit of PLN 129.79 billion as of the end of October, which means an execution of 70.5% of the plan for the whole year. At the end of November, the president signed an amendment to the 2024 budget law, which calls for reducing projected budget revenues from PLN 682.37 billion to PLN 626.08 billion, and increasing the bud-
Andrzej Domański
get deficit from PLN 184 billion to PLN 240 billion.
The government is currently finalizing a change in the rules for the health contribution paid by employers. “Thanks to this solution, 94% of Polish entrepreneurs will benefit. First of all, those small and medium-sized ones up to the amount of one and a half times the average salary, entrepreneurs settling on a tax, on the so-called scale, on a flat tax will pay a fixed, low lump sum health contributin,” the minister told public radio broadcaster Polskie Radio. Domanski hopes the draft can be adopted later this year.
“We know that we inherited a high deficit from the previous government, because I will just remind you that the excessive deficit procedure was imposed on Poland for 2023, the year of the rule of Law and Justice and Mr. [PM Mateusz] Morawiecki. PiS left us with an economy with zero growth. At the moment, fortunately, the economy has accelerated and we expect GDP growth of 3% this year and almost 4% next year,” Domanski said. He pointed out that the National Recovery Plan (KPO) will contribute more strongly to economic growth in 2025. “We have public investment. I’ve already mentioned the CPK, I’ve already mentioned nuclear power, rail investment is increasing. Last week, the Prime Minister decided to transfer PLN 1.5 billion to Polish universities and PLN 500 million to the National Science Center to support, in fact, long-term economic growth,” Domanski went to say, adding that ”long-term economic growth needs investment.”
Meanwhile, the Monetary Policy Council kept interest rates unchanged. The expected decision to leave interest rates unchanged ends a “lazy” year for the MPC, which may proceed with cuts in 2025.
2024 was the first time in half a decade that the MPC made no moves. It began with the National Bank of Poland’s (NBP) main interest rate at 5.75%, and ended that way. The December meeting was the thirteenth in a row without a change in rates. The last time the Council decided to change the parameters of monetary policy was in October 2023, when there was a 25 basis point cut.
It has also been a long time since the MPC has been in such a state of near unanimity, at least on the issue of rates. For months, there has only been a motion for a 200-basis-point hike, supported only by Joanna Tyrowicz and re-
jected by the other nine members. The last time another motion, for a 25-basis point hike, appeared was in March (it was supported only by Tyrowicz and Przemysław Litwiniuk).
Clues as to when the Council believes the time for rate cuts came from NBP Governor and MPC Chairman Adam Glapiński. In recent months, he and most members of the body have pointed to March, possibly the second quarter. That’s when, according to current forecasts, Poland’s steady downward trend in inflation is expected to begin, and that’s the rationale Glapiński and other Council representatives have been pointing to for months for starting discussions on interest rate cuts.
“The Council is eager to proceed with rate cuts immediately when inflation stops rising and the projection shows a decline. The discussion of monetary easing may begin in March 2025, after the next projection,” the central bank governor said a month ago.
In November, the MPC gained at least two arguments to look even more kindly on the vision of rate cuts. First, the government announced the upholding of shielding measures for households. The maximum energy price of PLN500/ MWh will remain in effect until at least September 2025. In the meantime, the president of the Energy Regulatory Authority (URE) will be able to call on energy suppliers to lower tariffs if wholesale energy prices fall. These decisions lower the trajectory of inflation in 2025 by more than 1 percentage point relative to the unfrozen energy price scenario.
However, the MPC’s post-meeting press-release did not focus on this element, but on concerns. “A factor of uncertainty regarding the expected horizon for the return of inflation to target remains the development of energy prices due to their likely unfreezing in the second half of 2025, as well as the impact of elevated energy price dynamics on inflation expectations,” it wrote. At the same time, a source of concern for the Council remains the stubbornly elevated dynamics of services prices, at nearly 7% year-on-year, driven by, among other things, rising labor costs.
As of today, the average of economists’ forecasts is that the MPC will cut rates by a total of about 100 basis points throughout 2025. Investors also have fairly similar expectations, pointing to the NBP’s main rate at 4.5-4.75%, with a trend toward further reductions.
Adam Glapiński, NBP Governor
CULTURAL PROGRAM OF THE POLISH PRESIDENCY
Polish culture will build a network of cultural cooperation and dialogue both internationally and domestically.
Culture is important for all of us. It is also a space for dialogue, and to this dialogue we now have the opportunity to invite all of Europe. Culture speaks of the future, but always reaches back to tradition, to history, operating in the present. I would like to thank the artists, thanks to whom Polish culture will be visible and we will be able to speak about ourselves anew, shape our identity, showing the roots of tradition, but also thinking about a common future. Culture is a certain system of thinking that will allow us to communicate among ourselves, here in Poland, but also in Europe,” Hanna Wróblewska, Minister of Culture and National Heritage, said during the presentation of the program at a press conference at the Grand Theater - National Opera in Warsaw.
The foreign cultural program of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, implemented by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, will cover more than 20 European countries, where nearly 100 diverse artistic events will take place. “Under the slogan ‘Culture sparks unity,’ it will promote the contemporary Polish art scene. Concerts, performances, exhibitions, film screenings and literary meetings will take place in EU countries, as well as candidate countries: Serbia, Georgia, North Macedonia and Moldova. emphasizing the ideas of solidarity and
international cooperation,” said Olga Brzezińska, deputy director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
The music will have a very wide presentation, from the most outstanding classical music performers to the Polish techno scene. Brussels in mid-February will host Poland’s flagship festival, the already internationally renowned Unsound Festival, focusing on the latest phenomena in Polish electronic and experimental music. The “Peel Slowly and See” festival in Leiden, the Netherlands, will feature three Polish bands and an artist from the electronic music scene.
In Brussels’ Flagey, audiences will hear the premiere performance of “Unity,” a concert specially prepared for the Polish Presidency of the EU Council by Aleksander Dębicz, a prominent pianist and composer.
As part of the “Polish music on your playlist” project, playlists on Spotify dedicated to Polish music have been prepared.
The theater program includes more than 30 performances by Polish artists on major European stages, including Krzysztof Warlikowski, Lukasz Twarkowski, Gosia Wdowik, Marta Gornicka, Agata Siniarska. “Mapping” by Krzysztof Wodiczko will be seen by audiences at the photo festival in Lille, and Agnieszka Polska will present her first performance at the Printemps des Comediens in Montpellier.
The Polish Presidency’s film program will be titled “Solidarity on Screen.” Screenings of Polish films will take place in cities such as Belgrade, Bratislava, Brussels, Vienna, Budapest, Dublin, Marseille, Munich, Paris, Skopje, Vienna, Cluj-Napoca and will interpret the slogan “Solidarity” in various ways.
In one of the largest and oldest museums in Belgium, new work will be presented by Malgorzata Mirga-Tas. At the invitation of the Royal Museum of Art and History, the artist will create a large-format tapestry inspired by the museum’s collection of tapestries.
Other national art projects include festivals, reviews, performances, exhibitions in many fields - film, theater, literature, art, dance, design, folk and traditional culture, and interdisciplinary events, which will be held in 15 Polish cities.
A total of PLN 32 million has been allocated for Ministry of Culture and National Heritage programs supporting the Presidency.
Poland’s presidency will be inaugurated on January 3 at the Grand Theater - National Opera in Warsaw.
Hanna Wróblewska, Minister of Culture and National Heritage
MICHAŁ URBANIAK ORGANATOR
MICHAŁ URBANIAK ORGANATOR “D-Day in Tomaszów” CD was released on December 6 by FOR TUNE, a Warsaw-based publishing house. It is a live recording of this legendary jazz formation, performed in 2019 during the 4th Love Polish Jazz Festival in Tomaszów Mazowiecki.
Michał Urbaniak is one of the most recognizable figures in the world of jazz. Internationally renowned violin and saxophone virtuoso, bandleader, composer, arranger. A New Yorker by choice. Urbaniak’s artistic resume is filled with unique achievements and musical experiments. Among the musicians he has played and collaborated with are some of the biggest names in jazz, such as: Freddie Hubbard, Elvin Jones, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, George Benson, Billy Cobham, Wayne Shorter, Marcus Miller, Joe Zawinul, Ron Carter, Kenny Barron, Buster Williams, Quincy Jones. And... the Great Miles himself! Urbaniak performed in famous jazz clubs, including Blue Note, Village Vanguard, Sweet Basil, prestigious concert halls such as Carnegie Hall, Beacon Theatre, and Avery Fisher Hall, as well as at the world’s most important festivals.
“D-Day
in Tomaszów”
In 1992, his name was ranked as the first among the top jazz stars in as many as five categories by Down Beat magazine. He has also collaborated in various constellations with leading Polish jazz musicians, including Urszula Dudziak, Andrzej Trzaskowski, Krzysztof Komeda, Adam Makowicz, Tomasz Stańko, Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, Wojciech Karolak, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Czesław Bartkowski, Andrzej Dąbrowski.
IN 1992, HIS NAME WAS RANKED AS THE FIRST AMONG THE TOP JAZZ STARS IN AS MANY AS FIVE CATEGORIES BY DOWN BEAT MAGAZINE
On the recently released album, Michał Urbaniak is accompanied by excellent musicians Piotr Wojtasik (trumpet), Gabriel Niedziela (guitar), Frank Parker (drums) and Wojciech Karolak - Hammond organ virtuoso. This... Wojtek Karolak!!! - emphasized repeatedly the leader, introducing the lineup, as it was Karolak who was the heart of the project, based on the great Hammond organ tradition. Three compositions by Michał Urbaniak were played: “Nirvana”, “Walcoberek” and “Urbtime”, as well as the standards “Girl Talk” by Neal Hefti, “Sugar” by Stanley Turrentine and Karolak’s favorite piece – “Daddy James” by Jimmy Watson. Fantastic playing!
The thread of understanding that has long connected Urbaniak and Karolak is something absolutely unique and impossible to imitate. This was certainly not another installment of the “Polish Jazz” story, for both of them have long since broken the bonds of the corset of this category, definitely representing the shelf of the world jazz. The recording from Tomaszów is one of the best productions of “Organator”. As it turned out, it was one of the last concerts of this formation. The album is a beautiful tribute to the memory of Wojciech Karolak, who died in 2021.
THE
Academy of Fine Arts in focus
The Czapskich Palace hosts, until the end-March, a display of photographs from the collection of the Museum of the Academy of Fine Arts (ASP) in Warsaw, first time ever to be shown to the general public.
Photography has accompanied the academic life at ASP, recording both the teaching process and the school’s everyday functioning. The exhibition titled „And Now Photography” includes both artistic and archival photographs taken by teachers and students between the 1930s and the present time.
The sets of photographs by Stefan Nargiełło and Antonina Garnuszewska, displayed in the vestibule, document the artistic life and activities of the studios of all the faculties of ASP as well as numerous plein-airs between the 1950s and 1970s. Displayed are also portraits of selected figures of the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts – lecturers, professors and rectors, mainly from the 1970s.
The first houses photographs from both pre-and post-war years, which captured the activity of various art photography studios. The post-war collection is extensive reflecting the process when, starting from the 1950s, photography as an artistic expression gained an increasingly important role in academic education. The works of Oskar Hansen, Jerzy Sołtan, and Andrzej Jan Wróblewski are examples of photographic experiments of that time.
A large part of exhibition is devoted to student works from the studios of Tadeusz Jodłowski and Wojciech Zamecznik, where photography served as a complement or inspiration for graphic compositions. The extensive archives of the studios of Jerzy Jarnuszkiewicz, Oskar Hansen and Grzegorz Kowalski illustrate the process of moving away from material sculpture towards a more contemporary medium– photography. Many works present different stages of education of future famous artists who used photography in their further creative work.
The photographs presented in the second room show projects of the Artistic and Research Workshops at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts for the City of Warsaw. Among them are innovative objects designed by outstanding architects associated with the academy. Here the borderline between documentary and art photography is often hard to define.
From love for folk embroidery art BUZZ
Thousands of embroidered items from the monumental private collection of Teresa Szwedkowicz are presented at the Ethnographic Museum in Warsaw.
Szwedkowicz, an art teacher from Opoczno, central Poland, who saw true art in the embroidery work of Polish village women, made collecting ‘folk fashion’ her way of life.
The exhibition entitled ”The Collector” presents all the characteristic elements of Szwedkowicz’s collection of Opoczno
costumes, embroideries and photographs meticulously gathered and annotated by her for over 40 years. During that time she managed to collect about 5,000 items, mainly elements of the bride’s dowry and wedding attire (shirts, towels, bed covers, fragments of the outfit) and photographs related to family rituals.
Among the exhibits at the Ethnographic Museum are samples of clothing fabrics and textile elements constituting the furnishings of a residential house (towels, pillowcases, tablecloths, napkins, fabrics), cutouts and Easter egg decorations.
The material collection is complemented by photographs and glass negatives together with catalogues made by Szwedkowicz.
This first ever exhibition of Szwedkowicz’s collection presents not only the objects she collected, but also her relationship with embroiderers, her work technique and the way she popularised her collection. The exhibition addresses the issues of the relationship between people and things and intangible heritage. Szwedkowicz’s activity is an example of emotional private collecting, inextricably linked to both the object of the collection and its carer.
Szwedkowicz herself was a creator, she made her own embroidery designs having learnt the craft from folk artists, and her works also became objects of cultural heritage.
On view till February 25
Masters of musical landscapes at Warsaw Philharmonic
Polish virtuoso violinist Konstanty Andrzej Kulka will perform the Four Seasons concerti by Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw on March 3.
He will be accompanied by a chamber orchestra conducted by Jan Lewtak with Danuta Kojro-Pawulska playing the harpsichord.
Kulka started to learn violin at the age of eight and continued his music education for sixteen years until his graduation with honours from the National Music Academy in Gdańsk in 1971.
When he was seventeen he received a recognition prize at the International Niccolo Paganini Violin Competition in Genoa in 1964. In the same year he won the Interna-
tional Radio Contest ARD in Munich which set him on the path of an international career.
Since then Kulka has performed in each and every country on all continents playing more than 2,000 recitals and symphonic concerts. As a soloist, he has been a guest of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and performed at many esteemed music festivals, for instance in Lucerne, Bordeaux, Berlin, Prague, Barcelona and Brighton.
The second part of the concert will feature Ennio Morricone’s film music performed by the Choir of the Grażyna Bacewicz Secondary Music School in Warsaw under the artistic direction of Wanda Tchórzewska-Kapała and soloists accompanied by a chamber orchestra conducted by Jan Lewtak. The program includes the musical score from Once Upon a Time in America (Deborah’s Theme), Chi Mai, D’amore si muore (For Love One Can Die), Once Upon a Time in the West (Cockeye’s Song) and The Mission (Gabriel’s Oboe).
Memory enchanted in objects
The exhibition “Real. 80 Unique Objects from the Warsaw Uprising” at the Warsaw Uprising Museum shows everyday objects used during the largest resistance operation in German-occupied Europe during World War II.
The exhibits have become witnesses to history, carrying not only material testimony, but also deep emotions and stories of their owners - insurgents nurses or ordinary residents of fighting for Warsaw. Among them are those used every day and those that dramatically changed their purpose during the uprising.
On display are items that were part of the equipment of the insurgents - berets, a grenade or a revolver. Such exhibits are rare because those who survived had to surrender their weapons.
Most of the exhibited items belonged to civilians. One of them is a camera with a logo of Fotoris, a very well-known photography studio in Warsaw, which officially worked for the occupier but in fact served as a conspiracy cell.
Another item presented at the exhibition is a metal powder compact with a clearly visible trace of the deflected bullet, which
belonged to a nurse, Kornelia Perzanowska. During German shelling, one of the bullets hit the powder compact in the pocket of the nurse’s apron while she was providing aid to the wounded and saved her life.
There is also a razor transformed into a surgical instrument, showing human ingenuity and desperation in the face of a lack of medical supplies as well as two wedding rings made from bullet shell casings.
“In the trenches, on the barricades, under constant fire, among the rubble, the inhabitants of Warsaw, insurgents and civilians, tried to lead a relatively normal life.,” says curator Dorota Rakowska. “There was even time for weddings and wedding receptions, of which about 300 took place during the uprising.”
Each of the 80 exhibits is accompanied by a recollection of an insurgent from the museum’s archives, and a description of what happened to the given object and how it was acquired.
“The exhibition is a tribute to our donors. Of the 120,000 objects in the museum, the vast majority were donated to us,” says curator Adam Jeżewski.
On view until June 9
Warsaw’s cuisine evolution
The new exhibition at Muzeum Warszawy (Museum of Warsaw) entitled ‘For Here and To Go’ tell the culinary history of the Polish capital – what was eaten, where and how throughout eight centuries.
Cuisine occupies an important place in the social history of a city. Not only does it illustrate the changes taking place, but it also exerts a significant impact on customs, interpersonal relationships, and urban spaces from medieval times to the present day.
The exhibition shows how meals were prepared and served, what the most popular dishes were, the places where people dined out and how these customs changed over the centuries, reflecting social, cultural, and political evolution. Archaeological discoveries, everyday objects, archival materials, photographs, and works of art, both historic and contemporary, guide the visitors through this important sphere of life, from the Middle Ages to the present day.
The narrative develops around home cooking and urban gastronomy. Historic methods of food preparation and storage are illustrated by objects from archaeological excavations. Kitchen innovations began as late as the early 19th century, and these can also be traced through artefacts like the first gas stoves or appliances such as ice-cream makers, mixers, slicers, and electric kettles.
A display on a large dining table in one of the rooms demonstrates how important to culture is what we eat. The way dishes are served is an expression of identity. The exposition also features one of the first editions of Lucyna Ćwierczakiewiczowa’s legendary cookbook titled 365 Obiadów za 5 Złotych (365 Dinners for 5 Zlotys).
The subsequent sections of the exhibition are dedicated to the activities of charitable institutions and to street food. The origins of street food, very trendy nowadays, date back to the Middle Ages.
The final section of the exhibition focuses on eating outdoors, both in the past and today. Visitors can learn how dishes served outdoors have evolved and how collective dining developed. Café gardens and sharing treats during picnics by the Vistula River also boast a long tradition.
The exhibition offers not only a historical perspective, but also a view of the present-day. Selected artworks by Bettina Bereś, Dorota Podlaska, Rafał Milach and Pola Dwurnik testify to the important role of preparing and consuming food. Street food, oldtime kitchens, eateries and picnics are depicted in drawings by Jan Piotr Norblin, Franciszek Kostrzewski and Henryk Pillati, and in photographs taken by Konrad Brandl or Aleksander Minorski.
Next to a sizeable table on which place settings from different times are displayed, a space for creative activity has been arranged where children can compose their own ‘meals’ using magnets.
Adult visitors also have an opportunity to compose a menu for the ‘Museum of Warsaw’s food truck.’
Till April 17
Opioid history on music stage
Syrena Music Theatre will show on February 22 for the first time a musical
“On Drugs”. Written by the theatre’s artistic director Jacek Mikołajczyk to the music of Jacek Sotomski and Michał Puchała and directed by Robert Talarczyk, it tells the story of the opioid epidemic that turned the United States into a zombie land.
Supposedly, the US was being consumed by an epidemic of pain and doctors were neglecting patients, who were
suffering. This was claimed by a pharmaceutical company that introduced a powerful painkiller based on highly addictive opiates to the market. This was also stated by doctors paid by this company. The drug broke sales records, which were fuelled by a false advertisement with a lying message that the risk of addiction was “less than one percent.” Many more became addicted with over 500,000 Americans dying due to the opioid epidemic.
The drug’s manufacturers made billions on the victims. As part of a court settlement, they paid a fine smaller than their profit, ensuring impunity for themselves.
The cast “On Drugs” includes popular Polish musical actors: Beatrycze Łukaszewska, Agnieszka Rose, Anna Terpiłowska, Marta Walesiak-Łabędźka, Angelika Kurowska, Przemysław Glapiński, Michał Konarski, Albert Osik, Jacek Pluta, Piotr Siejka, Michał Juraszek.
Pros and cons of being an actor
SStudents of the National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw are staging their diploma play
“Alice won’t be there” (Alicji nie będzie) directed by Bartosz Porczyk and Ewelina Adamska-Porczyk at the Collegium Nobilium Theatre.
The story takes place behind the theatre stage where preparations are underway for the play “Alice in Wonderland”. The young actors distribute among themselves roles to perform and discuss work methods but also talk about how to overcome their stress and fears, of being overwhelmed with responsibility. At the same time they want to reach for dreams and stand out on the stage. Except
that no one wants to play Alice. Finally, one of them agrees and sets off a journey in search of the key. She passes through Wonderland, meeting characters from Lewis Carroll’s fairy tale reflected in a huge distorting light bulb mirror, the main element of scenography on the stage.
Hanging from the ceiling is a neon sign with comments on the characters that appear. Each of them has their own story to sing about the bright and dark sides of the acting profession.
Alice’s adventures are here just a pretext to tell a story of being an actor, the meaning, beauty and cruelty of this profession, the lights and shadows of fame, about being on stage and off it, about “the other side of the mirror”.
The song lyrics were written Rafał Dziwisz and Bartosz Porczyk to the music by Łukasz Damrych, Mariusz Obijalski and Porczyk himself.
Cast includes Bogumiła Bajor, Jakub Cendrowski, Jędrzej Czerwonogrodzki, Julia Ćwian, Magdalena Dąbkowska, Angelika Jasińska, Karol Osentowski and Żaneta Rus.
Reclaiming history through art
Potential Histories, a new exhibition at Zachęta – National Gallery of Art highlights the important role of artists and the language of art in rewriting history, as well as the role of cultural institutions as spaces where potential histories can be fully expressed.
The works presented in the exhibition - films, installations and objects created in recent years by several artists are united by the themes of appropriation, instrumental treatment and the reclaiming of history, shown in the context of current political tensions. These concern regions of recent and ongoing conflict marked by the legacy of colonialism and of Russian imperialism: the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe.
The exhibition’s starting point is the concept of potential history formulated by Ariella Aïsha Azoulay, a scholar of political thought and visual culture. She rejects history as an academic discipline, treating it as a tool of imperial violence and questioning the dominant narratives perpetuated by institutions understood as borders, nation-states, museums, and archives.
The exhibition is a “repair tool” as part of a strategy of retelling history, “from a non-Western and non-colonial perspective”.
The mechanisms of manipulating history are revealed through the metaphor of a puppet theatre, which Wael Shawky uses in his film trilogy. In Cabaret Crusades, he reinterprets the history of the Crusades and the clash of two civilisations, based on Arab historical sources. He questions the neutrality of archives and points to the political dimension of telling the past.
Rabih Mroué and Nikita Kadan explore this theme in the context of photographic archives. On the one hand, photography is an important tool for constructing the historiography of the twentieth century; on the other hand, it is particularly susceptible to falsification. In both Mroué’s monumental video installation and Kadan’s drawings, individuals with their personal histories are depicted as pawns in a ruthless political game. Both works address the issue of contemporary memory wars.
This theme is also present in Mykola Ridnyi’s latest film, Battle over Mazepa, which the artist contrasts two different narratives of the biography of the Ukrainian national hero, demonstrating that art can be a tool for reclaiming history.
In her work, Ala Savashevich confronts the legacy of the Soviet empire. She refers to the destruction of monuments — a symbolic act of overthrowing authority based on various hierarchies.
The appropriation or theft of the history of colonised nations and cultural goods as a tool for building imperial domination is one of the key themes in Kader Attia’s works.They resonate with the call for restitution, not only as a practice of returning objects stolen during colonial plunder, but also as a means of restoring dignity to marginalised social groups and their emancipation.
Anna Boghiguian’s works examine the history of the world, especially the socio-economic processes based on slavery and the exploitation of cheap labour that gave rise to great imperial powers.
The issue of exploitation of natural resources and imperial violence through land appropriation is taken up by Noor Abed in her latest film. Drawing on folklore and local mythology, the artist explores the question of belonging to a place.
BUTIK
Compiled by Marzena Robinson
1/ Essence of Time
Amouage, a luxury perfumery house with Omani roots, has launched The Essences, a trio of fragrances developed as an invitation to a sensory journey through three aspects of time: past, present and future.
All three perfumes in the new collection, Reasons, Lustre and Outlands, were designed to reveal the value and complexity of time. Each is highly concentrated containing 30-percent pure perfume oils that underwent a meticulous six-month ageing process in specially crafted oakwood barrels. The use of an innovative technique of double infusion with Sandalwood chips brought layers and depth to each scent.
The woody-spicy Reasons, developed by Master Perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, encapsulates the wisdom of the past and delving into retrospection. Its welcoming warm top notes of Cardamom, Hazelnut, Cinnamon and Schinus Molle lead to a heart of Patchouli and Davana to create depth and complexity with smoky, earthy notes of Palo Santo grounding the whole olfactory experience in a sense of timeless stability of the past and remembrance.
The woody-floral Lustre, crafted by Julien Rasquinet and Paul Guerlain, expresses a desire to make the present feel infinite. It opens with a burst of spicy Cardamom, softened by a creamy and powdery Orris heart, furthered by Sandalwood which adds a grounding quality, resting on the base of Vanilla which lends a lingering warmth to the composition.
The woody-ambery Outlands, created
by Cécile Zarokian, captures the charm of the future with its invitation into the unknown. The fragrance opens with an invigorating array of bright Citruses and a hint of Spice, progressing to a rich, multi-faceted Patchouli heart that feels like a voyage to the mysterious landscapes. As the scent develops, a blend of Amber accord with the potency of Oud and Resins adds the mystique which defines the inevitable future.
The fragrances are housed in an original, refillable glass bottle with a ceramic coating reminiscent of ancient apothecary jars, the first new design unveiled by the brand in over 15 years in a nod to time-honoured craftsmanship.
2/ Olfactory Celebration of Rise and Fall Rise and Fall is a new sensual fragrance launched by the French Maison de Parfums Floraïku Paris as part of its Forbidden Incense Collection. It reinterprets the Japanese Kodo ceremony whereby incense is offered at various shrines. The fragrance is a sublimation of the art of burning precious wood essences to capture every nuance of the ritual, from fragrant swirls to captivating scents. Like incense rising and ashes falling, the perfume Rise and Fall evokes the same delicate and harmonious movement and seizes the moment when summer turns into autumn and colourful leaves, carried by the wind, return to the earth.
This spicy-fruity generous fragrance opens with green and earthy Ginger notes, followed by a warm heart of Immortelle Absolute, reminiscent of crisp golden au-
tumn leaves heated by a late sun. The base of sweet, spicy ambery Vanilla adds a burst of energy to the soothing finish.
3/ Anti-conformist Fragrance
A new addition to Maison Micallef’s Secrets of Love fragrance collectionMa Nature, invites you to cherish your true nature. The scent is focused on the free-thinking spirit, designed for those who dare to be different and feel good about it, to give them total self-confidence.
Ma Nature explores new precious accords and unprecedented olfactory paths to reflect the unique character of the wearer.
This oriental-woody fragrance is built around sophisticated Patchouli used in an overdose in both top and heart notes. It features a rich, musky Amber profile enhanced by a hint of Honey, Lavender and Clove in the top notes. The sensual heart offers a contrast of light and shade, with Cashmere Wood, Sandalwood and Cinnamon around. The base notes reveal a long trail of delicately musky Amber roundness, enhanced by voluptuous Vanilla and Tonka Bean for a hint of gourmandise.
4/
Scented Gems of Orient
The renowned perfume house, Houbigant Paris, has unveiled a new luxurious trio of fragrances in the Les Ambres collectionAmbre Rubis, Rose du Désert and Vanille Impériale, inspired by the multi-faceted magic of the Orient.
The collection reinterprets the most precious treasures of the Oriental world through
a modern olfactory alchemy. Each innovative and captivating composition blends Amber with a contemporary, avant-garde touch, offering a timeless sensory experience.
Spicy and deeply aromatic Ambre Rubis is a tribute to the “King of Gems”, cherished for centuries in a secluded palace, which symbolises vitality, courage and prosperity. It opens with notes of Orange, Incense, and Pink Pepper, followed by a heart of Rum, Cherry, and Jasmine. The base consists of Amber enhanced by the resinous tones of Fir Balsam and nuances of Cedar Wood, leaving a lingering trail of mysterious allure.
Citrusy and musky Rose du Désert embodies the daintiness of a rose growing in the rugged desert landscape. Surrounded by nature’s harshness, this delicate flower is picked at dawn for its floral sweetness and warm sand undertones. Invigorating top notes of Lemon Flower, Bergamot, and Yuzu offer a refreshing wave of citrus freshness. The heart blooms with Turkish and Bulgarian Roses, Violet, Iris, and Vanilla Absolute, blending lush florals with sweet warmth. The base of Ambergris, Musk, Cedar Wood, and Patchouli adds depth and sophistication, grounding the fragrance in a subtle, earthy complexity.
Floral-oriental Vanille Impériale envelops you in the beauty of a night under starry oriental sky transporting the spirit to distant horizons, where the sky becomes a living tableau of dreams and infinite possibilities. The fresh and vibrant opening introduces sparkling citrus accords of blood Orange,
Bergamot, and Neroli. The floral heart unfolds with the comforting bouquet of opulent blend of Tuberose, Rose, Jasmine, and Vanilla. The base notes of Woods, Amber, Ambrette seeds, and Musk emphasise the elegance and sophistication of the fragrance.
5/ Tribute to Sacred Ingredient
Encens Sacré – a new creation by an innovative perfume house Perris Monte Carlo celebrates the heritage of incense, highly valued in the art of perfumery for its aromatic and spiritual properties.
This oriental-woody scent with the sumptuous notes of incense evokes the mystical atmosphere of ancient temples and sacred ceremonies. Its complex and meditative character was born from the pursuit of a sublime balance between two olfactory nuances of this exceptional ingredient, its mineral and balsamic sweetness obtained with a classic distillation and a more intense and smoky note, similar to the aroma of burnt incense, obtained through pyrolysis - distillation at high temperatures. This duality is supported by a refined floral heart note of Moroccan Rose and Jasmine, and a warm base of Amber, Patchouli, and Sandalwood to create a harmonious blend of sacred and sensual elements.
The incense used for this fragrance comes from the resin of the Boswellia carterii tree, a precious raw material collected exclusively in Somalia. The harvest takes place from November to February, when the bark of the tree is incised to allow the
resin to drip and solidify into a gum, from which the essential oil is extracted.
6/ Powerful Trio to Pamper Your Skin
Natura Bissé is offering an exclusive limited-edition holiday set featuring three products from its iconic Essential Shock Line to provide mature skin with a multi-action shock treatment for unparalleled nourishing and firmness.
The set which comes with a special festive season-celebrating price tag, combines the age-defying benefits of Essential Shock Intense Cream paired with Essential Shock Intense Eye and Lip Cream as well as Essential Shock Intense Mask to revitalise even the driest and dullest complexions.
The Essential Shock Intense Cream, formulated with essential nutrients and Isoflavones, helps to minimise the impact of menopause and hormonal deficiencies on the skin, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and sagginess.
The Essential Shock Intense Eye and Lip Cream is a moisturiser booster to treat most vulnerable areas where signs of aging usually appear first. Packed with powerful ingredients, Collagen, Elastin Amino Acids, Isoflavones and Rosehip Oil, it provides all-day hydration and a visible lifting effect.
The Essential Shock Instant Lift Mask is a ten-minute beauty remedy delivering an instant dose of hyaluronic acid and collagen to your skin. Infused with eco-friendly bamboo fibres this re-densifying mask boasts an impressive firming effect revealing luminous and juicy skin.
G REAT
Compiled by Bartosz Grzybiński
1/ High-speed 5G Internet
The ODU-IDU set: the ZTE MC889A Pro 5G and ZTE T5400 routers - this duo provides reliable Internet access. The ZTE MC889A Pro 5G outdoor unit supports 5G networks in SA and NSA modes and offers download speeds of up to 4.3 Gbps. Equipped with an 11 dBi gain antenna, it works stably even in poor network conditions. Thanks to its resistance to harsh weather conditions (IP65, temperature range -40°C to 60°C) and easy PoE installation, it is perfect for demanding locations. All this makes it the best 5G router available on the market. The ZTE T5400, on the other hand, is an indoor Wi-Fi 6 router, which with its 6 antennas and Easy
Mesh technology provides wide coverage and stable connection for up to 256 users. Its compact design and advanced features such as NFC make it an ideal router for the home or office.
2/ Wawel Dragon
In the offer of the Polish brand Błonie we can find a unique watch, bearing the name “Wawel Dragon”. It is a mechanical, manually winding watch, which derives its style from the “Zodiak” models, produced at the Błonie Mechanical and Precision Works in the 1960s, and by its colors and the elements used it refers to the widely known children’s fairy tale “The Abduction of Baltazar Gąbka” in
Poland. Its characteristic elements are the convex glass, the unusual lines of division of the dial, and the absence of hour numerals, and watch lovers will easily find other attributes of fairy tale characters visible on the elements of this watch equipped with a Swiss mechanism. The dragon of Wawel Castle, who used the Błonie watch in the fairy tale, gave the impetus for the color scheme and was found on its dial.
3/ The most photographic smartphone Anywhere as well as anytime anyone can feel like a professional photographer. This is all thanks to the Neovision AI system, which is a professional in-
GEAR
tegration of software, advanced optics and specialized artificial intelligence algorithms. The 108 Mpix main camera captures great moments in fine detail so that memories are preserved in the best image quality. At the heart of the nubia Focus Pro 5G is a 2.2 GHz octa-core processor with 5G support that ensures fast and smooth performance in all conditions. Together with up to 20 GB of dynamic RAM (8 + 12 GB), they provide an uncompromisingly smooth experience using demanding applications and advanced games. The stylish design is available in glass, black finish and light brown vegan leather. Its design is inspired by classic cameras.
4/ MiVue C545 Pro
MiVue C545 Pro is the cheapest camera with HDR function. The device is equipped with a high-quality Sony STARVIS Premium sensor, which guarantees the highest image quality even in the most difficult lighting conditions. Mio’s new video recorder can record in Full HD 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second. The doubled frame rate compared to standard 30 fps cameras guarantees exceptional smoothness of the image, which is especially important when recording driving at high speeds - so every moment of your trip will be recorded in high detail. The MiVue C545 Pro camera features Mio’s proprietary Night Vision
Pro technology, which automatically finetunes the image to ensure perfect illumination of every scene. Thanks to built-in motion detection technology, the device automatically starts recording in standby mode when it detects motion in front of the vehicle. This means that evidence is collected even when the car is parked and the owner is away. This is an added safety feature for any driver. The built-in super-capacitor ensures stable power supply and longer device life, which is especially important in situations where the camera has to function in extremely low or high temperatures. The Mio MiVue C545 Pro camera comes with a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty.
PRETENDER
Mazda CX-80 3.3 e-Skyactiv D, Homura Plus
Story and photos by Bartosz Grzybiński
Sophisticated styling, a spacious and luxuriously appointed interior, and a powerful six-cylinder diesel engine. Audi? BMW? Mercedes? No, it’s a Mazda.
The Mazda CX-80, the brand’s flagship model with aspirations to compete for customers in the executive segment, is entering Polish showrooms.
The exterior design is the quintessence of the brand’s design art subordinated to the KODO philosophythe soul of movement. It presupposes extracting the essence of beauty from every object while movingusing as few elements as possible. Minimalism and pure form are the two most distinctive features of the design of Mazda models presented since 2010.
The same is true of the flagship SUV debuting this spring, classified as the Mazda CX-80 executive segment. Large body planes are complemented by artful details. The front is dominated by a black oxidized radiator air intake (grill) with the brand’s logo, joined by a decorative chrome strip into a single unit with narrow
headlights. The side lines are drawn as if in one stroke, and what is immediately noticeable is the change in proportions from other SUV models on offer, such as the CX-60, an elongated silhouette. The chrome trim running around the passenger cabin windows gives an idea of its size. It’s only after a closer look that you see that the rear doors are also really wide. No wonder. The body on this model is almost 5 meters long, and the wheelbase is as long as 3.12 meters. In comparison, with a minimally shorter body length, the wheelbase of the Mazda CX-80 is a few centimeters longer than that of the BMW X7. The rear end is again absolute minimalism, with narrow lamps overlapping deeply into the fenders. Even the exhaust pipe tips have been hidden so as not to disturb the minimalist look. The body body is set on 235-gauge wheels and attractive 20-inch black rims. In terms of styling, this is one of the most attractive cars in this segment that has appeared on the market recently.
MANEUVERING AN ALMOST FIVE-METER CAR IN URBAN CONDITIONS IS VERY EASY, ALSO THANKS TO THE 360-DEGREE CAMERA SYSTEM
The interior is compatible with the exterior. It is dominated by stylistic minimalism combined with ergonomics and the use of top-quality natural trim materials, with the ubiquitous Nappa leather at the forefront. The long wheelbase gave the designers the option of three rows of seats. The basic configuration is either two front seats, a threeseat bench seat and two third-row seats - retractable in the floor (2+3+2) or two front seats, two separate second-row (captain’s) seats and two retractable seats (2+2+2). The seats, or rather third-row seats, are used more for carrying children or passengers of small stature and short distances. Both the middle row bench seat and the separate seats are fully adjustable and can be moved 12 centimeters. The cabin is spacious and comfortably accommodates four, or comfortably five adult passengers. Taking a seat is very convenient not only thanks to the size of the rear doors, but also their ability to be opened at almost 90 degrees. At your disposal in this configuration is a trunk with a capacity of 687 l. When the rear bench seat backrest is folded down and moved as far forward as possible, its capacity can increase up to 1971 l. Even with a set of seven passengers on board, the trunk capacity is still 258 l.
The position behind the steering wheel is very good, but tall drivers may find the seat too short a drawback. This is a problem that can already be seen in the CX-60. In the CX80, it is true that the lateral contouring of the front seats has been improved, but the problem of the seat has not disappeared, although Mazda has, of course, all the electric adjustment functions. It’s a pity, because other brands offer
not only multi-level adjustment, heating and ventilation, but also, for example, a massage function. Seemingly a trifle, but if you aspire to the luxury class then even such details are important to the picky customer. For what it’s worth, the visibility from the driver’s seat (despite the long hood), ergonomics and operation of on-board equipment is downright exemplary. There are three driving modes for the driver to choose from: normal, sport and off-road. The driving mode selector is located next to the shift 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 perform well on slippery and wet surfaces. For this, a very small turning radius (5.2 meters) deserves
COMBINING THE DYNAMICS AND FLEXIBILITY OF THE ENGINE WITH ITS ECONOMY AND HIGH OPERATING CULTURE SEEMS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST DRIVES THAT IS AVAILABLE ON THE AUTOMOTIVE MARKET, INCLUDING THE STRICT EUROPEAN TOP
special attention. Maneuvering an almost five-meter car in urban conditions is very easy, also thanks to the 360-degree camera system. The equipment in the presented version of the Homura Plus is practically complete and includes all the comfort and safety elements available on the market.
In the era of electromobility, when many automotive brands are abandoning traditional internal combustion engines, Japanese Mazda, as if against the current of this worldwide trend, offers the CX-60 SUV and the presented CX-80 - also with a diesel engine. Under the hood of the tested car is the same 3.3-liter inline six-cylinder diesel engine with a common rail direct injection system (supplemented by a MHEV soft 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.
Again, as if in spite of the ubiquitous trend of downsizing, i.e. the use of small-displacement units, whose high power is achieved through turbochargers. The maximum torque of this engine - 550 Nm. - is obtained in the range of 15002400 rpm, thanks to which the huge power is transmitted very smoothly to all wheels with the advantage of the rear axle via an 8-speed automatic transmission. The Mazda CX-80 weighs 2,131 kilograms, (more than 200 more than its younger sister CX-60) hence a second worse acceleration to 100 km/h - 8.4 seconds. Top speed is the same - 219 km/h. Fortunately, the main qualities of this unit - economy, flexibility and operating culture - have remained the same. The juicy sound heard during rapid acceleration of the engine is given gratis. Mazda CX-80 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. This is one of the best drives that is available on the automotive market, including the strict European top. All the more so because in this model, through different settings of springs and shock absorbers or the removal of rear stabilizers, the pain of the CX-60 model, on the platform of which the Mazda CX-80 was built, that is, too hard rear suspension, has been eliminated.
If to these undeniable driving qualities we add attractive styling, rich equipment, usability in the form of three rows of seats, and even the price of the presented car (about PLN 330,000), it seems that the Mazda CX-80 can confidently aspire to the top of the best SUV models in the executive segment.
Maybe the Mazda is less prestigious, maybe it doesn’t have massage seats, air suspension or sporty versions ( yet) , but it certainly has enough other qualities to be an interesting alternative to models such as the Audi Q7, BMW X5, or Mercedes GLC with similar power units.
MORE AND MORE SERIOUS DEBTORS
The bad debts of the largest companies have doubled in a few months. Fortunately, at least for now, this is not some kind of systemic problem, but only the result of the financial troubles of several corporations, including SOEs.
At the end of October, the value of impaired loans of large companies amounted to PLN 11.4 billion, the National Bank of Poland (NBP) said recently in data on the condition of the banking sector. Compared to October last year, this is 79% more, and compared to May this year (when it was only PLN 5.1 billion), this is an increase of as much as 106%.
No other segment, whether among small and medium-sized companies or retail customers, shows such an increase in bad debts. Also, indicators showing the quality of the portfolio have remained more or less constant in these areas. For large companies, however, they have begun to increase by leaps and bounds.
Impaired loans as a proportion of the value of total debt of large companies amounted to 7.3% at the end of October, compared to 3.5% as recently as May. Individual banks are also reporting a fairly significant deterio-
ration in this regard. ING Bank Śląski reports that the share of non-performing loans (in the total portfolio) in the corporate segment rose to 5.7% in Q3 from 3.6% in Q1 of this year. At PKO BP, it was 4.58% versus 3.74%, respectively.
Bankers agree that this situation is primarily the result of recognizing the problems of a few customers, rather than the problems of entire industries.
“With the prolongation from the state of stagnation in the economy, the island risks of our corporate clients are beginning to reveal themselves. We are seeing some disruption at the level of individual entities,” Brunon Bartkiewicz, CEO of ING BSK, told Rzeczpospolita daily during a recent earnings conference.
The banks cannot disclose which specific customers are involved, but according to analysts it is easy to guess. Major problems in recent periods have been reported by, for example, chemical Azoty Group, freight rail carrier PKP Cargo and the Blue City shopping center company. In the case of Blue City, as recently as May this year there was no agreement with a consortium of banks to extend the
repayment deadline for a loan totaling EUR 156 million.
Azoty Group just a few days ago extended the agreement with its financing institutions until March 31, 2025, to ensure the company’s financial stability. These institutions are various banks and their factoring companies owned by PKO BP, ING BSK and Santander BP, among others. Azoty Group has loans, among others, for the construction of the Polimery Police plant, worth PLN 7.2 billion. PKP Cargo, currently in the process of restructuring, has nearly PLN 1.4 billion in bank loans and nearly PLN 1.5 billion in leasing liabilities.
The problems of large corporations are taking a toll on banks in the form of credit risk costs. Data from the National Bank of Poland shows that write-offs for this purpose at the end of October totaled about PLN 4.3 billion. That’s almost twice as much as in May this year, but about the same as a year earlier. At ING BSK, provisions for credit risk (in the corporate segment) were as high as PLN 432 million in Q3, and in total in Q1-Q3 this yearPLN 860 million versus PLN 310 million in the same period of 2023.
The Blue City shopping center
PARCEL INDUSTRY GIANT GOES FOR MORE
Rafał Brzoska, head of InPost, is planning impressive acquisitions. The company, known for its parcel machine network, may even spend more than EUR 1 billion.
InPost has revealed its plans for the coming year. The Polish billionaire gave an interview to the Financial Times, in which he pointed out some of the group’s key goals. Further European expansion is being prepared - as a result, the company, present today with its parcel services in nine markets, would expand its reach by another six countries.
InPost, which besides Poland operates today in France, the UK, Italy, as well as the Benelux countries and the Iberian Peninsula, has targeted the so-called DACH market and Scandinavia. The parcel machine network could thus appear in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, as well as Norway, Sweden and Finland. And this could happen in just a few months. Acquisitions would help in such rapid expansion.
For now, it’s unclear at what stage the potential deals are and what companies InPost is targeting for acquisitions. What is clear, however, is that the company does not intend to economize on such dynamic geographic development in Europe. A larger cross-border network will help the company compete with courier giants like DHL, UPS and FedEx.
The leader of the Polish KEP (courier, express, parcel) market, backed by US fund Advent International, intends to flood the Old Continent with its machines. Such a decisive move is to be a response to the growing trend of “out of home” parcel delivery, not only in Poland. InPost - first in Poland, then in France and more recently in the UK - has found that its business concept has hit fertile ground. Demand for InPost’s services in the UK is so high that the Brzoska-led company spent GBP 60 million this year to acquire logistics company Menzies. The Polish operator already has 8,600
parcel machines there, but it doesn’t intend to stop there. Every week it installs another hundred new machines, and it wants to crank up the pace even further. Today it already has the largest network of parcel collection machines in Europe (only in Poland it counts about 25,000 devices).
InPost Group in October officially launched a huge logistics center near Piotrków Trybunalski, which will eventually handle up to 85,000 parcels per hour on 36,000 square meters. This is the largest facility of its kind in Poland.
The operator is also generating great results - in the third quarter, growth in the number of parcels jumped by more than a dozen percent year-on-year. This is a continuation of the trend from the third quarter, in which the InPost Group handled 262 million parcels, 25% more than a year earlier. In the Polish market, the growth rate was 21% (170 million parcels), twice as high as the growth rate of the overall market, and 32% in the international market. The strong operational performance translated into solid increases in revenue and profit. The Group recorded a 23% increase in revenue to PLN 2.54 billion, thanks mainly to the Polish market, the UK market and the markets served by Mondial Relay.
POLISH FLYING SCOOTER INTENDS TO CONQUER THE WORLD
Tri-City start-up Maviator has developed a prototype of a personal drone - the vehicle is fully functional and getting ready for production. The company is launching a fundraiser for the development of the project. The machine could hit the market in 2025.
SkyRacer X1, as its creators say, a flying scooter, could be a hit. This is because it will allow fans of aerial recreation and adrenaline lovers to gain access to “sky activity” without the need for months of training and the need to obtain a pilot’s license.
The start-up from Gdynia, which is behind the project, already has a functional prototype, and is now preparing an issue for financing the so-called production prototype. It wants to raise PLN 3.5 million. The team that developed the SkyRacer vehicle makes no secret of the fact that the goal is to quickly commercialize the solution.
The flying scooter has already successfully passed manned flight tests (the start-up has created several developmental prototypes of the device), and now the final version is to be developed. Maviator Group with sales would like to start as early as next year.
The personal drone is a representative of the Ultralight eVTOL category - a lightweight vertical take-off and landing vehicle designed for recreation and sport. The machine is intended for so-called Personal Air Mobility. The design, based on the concept of an electric multi-rotor in the X8 propulsion system, enabling smooth and efficient flight and vertical takeoff and
landing. The electric drone is expected to allow about 20 minutes of flight and reach speeds of up to 100 km/h. Designers assume that the SkyRacer will be suitable for people up to 195 cm tall and weighing up to 110 kg. The vehicle will be equipped with three flight modes, depending on individual preferences and skill levels. The mode for amateurs will provide fully automatic flight, while the more experienced will be able to take full control of the machine. Thanks to its compact size and arm folding mechanism, the device will be easily transportable and quickly prepared for flight, while the ability to change batteries will mean that flight time can be extended.
According to the company’s development strategy, the next models in the SkyRacer series are to be equipped with hybrid propulsion, which will make it possible to increase the flight time to an hour. This will improve the
utility features of the scooter and is likely to arouse the interest of customers looking for aeromobility solutions and representatives of services such as rescue and special units. Maviator representatives argue that their solution provides ease of piloting, but also simple servicing and low operating costs.
The new branch of aviation appears to be very promising. According to analysis by the consulting firm Deloitte, this market in the United States alone will reach USD 115 billion over the next decade, growing as much as tenfold. Maviator hopes to carve out a slice of this pie for itself, given the specifics of its project. A novelty is to be the pilot’s position to be adopted when driving the SkyRacer. It’s a body position similar to that adopted by the driver of a racing motorcycle (this is supposed to allow good stabilization of the pilot, better control over the machine and give an unrestricted view).
The Gdynia-based start-up also attaches great importance to safety. The machine has the ability to continue flying in emergency mode, even when two of the eight engines go out. In addition, the open design of the flying scooter makes it possible to use a backpack pyrotechnic parachute and exit the vehicle during flight.
Final manned testing of the SkyRacer is scheduled for the first half of 2025. Production could begin in the second half. The company is already thinking about further versions of the device, which could enter, for example, the segment of flying autonomous cabs.
RECORD MONEY FOR FARMERS
The European Investment Bank has announced the largest-ever support for European agriculture. The EIB alone is giving EUR 3 billion in lowcost loans, but in the whole action of European institutions, EUR 8.4 billion will go to farmers in three years - another EUR 3 billion will come from intermediary financial institutions, the rest will be equity co-financing from beneficiaries, which may include EU grants. The money is expected to make agriculture more efficient, and funds from the package will be able to be combined with direct EU grants. While the bank’s projects are usually aimed at large state and local government entities or large companies, this time the support will go to smaller players, including young farmers and even small farms.
“As the EU’s climate and development bank, we are launching a record-breaking package for agriculture, which will mobilize a total of EUR 8.4 billion by the end of 2027 for small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises, individual farmers, midcap agricultural companies and cooperatives in EU countries,” EIB Vice President Teresa Czerwińska [former Polish Finance Minister] told Rzeczpospolita daily. The funds respond to specific challenges facing the sector, including accelerating the transformation of European agriculture and projects related to greater environmental protection. Financing the sustainable transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises in the agricultural sector requires support for “green” investments, young and beginning farmers, as well as women operating in the field. Funds can be used for land regeneration and
Teresa Czerwińska
improvement, carbon sequestration, improvements to irrigation and storage systems, investment in more climate-resilient crops, introduction of technological and digital innovations, and training in solutions that benefit farmers and the climate, among others.
The emphasis will be on young farmers or newcomers to agriculture (including the possibility of buying land), women-led businesses, and environmentally friendly solutions in resource management, among other things. The EIB Group will provide support to intermediary institutions in various forms - lines of credit, guarantees, specialized advice are involved. Intermediaries will, on this basis - and with the multiplication of the value of EIBG support through leverage - fur-
ther lend new funds to final beneficiaries at attractive terms.
Polish companies and Polish small and medium-sized farmers, the vast majority of whom are Polish, can also become beneficiaries of this program and use the funds to modernize assets, make greater use of digital technologies in production, or improve resource efficiency. The EIB is lending on attractive terms, but, in the name of greater efficiency, the money will be able to be combined with funds from other sources. This model will be repeated in the next EU budget after 2027.
According to the EIB, agriculture suffers from a shortage of long-term financial offerings. The financing gap in long-term loans of up to 15 years, is as high as EUR 62 billion. Financing is essential for long-term changes, such as farm succession and setting up RES installations, and it is especially difficult for smaller farms to access it.
The EIB package is expected to cover both agriculture and the entire bio-economy, which accounts for 5% of the EU’s GDP and employs 17 million people. The bank stresses in its project description that agriculture is disproportionately exposed to the effects of climate change, but at the same time has a key role to play in reducing gas emissions and increasing absorption.
CANADIANS READY TO CO-FINANCE POLISH ATOM
Polish Nuclear Power Plants (PEJ) is raising money to build a nuclear power plant. Letters of intent for debt financing already amount to PLN 81 billion.
PEJ has received a letter of intent from Export Development Canada (EDC) to potentially support Poland’s first nuclear power plant project with the equivalent of nearly PLN 6 billion.
EDC joins the ranks of other foreign entities interested in financially supporting the Lubiatowo-Kopalino power plant project. Earlier such interest was expressed by US entities.
“We are pleased to see the strong interest in our investment from leading entities of the global financial market, with whom we are in constant contact. The EDC’s letter of intent is another confirmation of this, and at the same time our next step towards the implementation of our strategy to obtain financing for the entire project,” said PEJ Vice President Piotr Piela.
EDC is a Canadian government institution with many years of experience in financing energy projects around the world. Its mission is to support Canadian exports and expand Canadian international trade. EDC’s support is con-
tingent on the successful completion of a detailed due diligence process and a positive credit decision.
Earlier, PEJ received letters of intent from the U.S.-based Export-Import Bank and the International Development Finance Corporation agency for a total equivalent of about PLN 75 billion.
Cooperation with export credit agencies is an important part of the strategy for securing financing for the nuclear power plant in Pomerania - it involves continuing talks with, among others, entities from countries with an extensive nuclear supply chain, in order to maximize and optimize financing opportunities for this key investment for Poland.
The government has announced that its own contribution will be PLN 60 billion, which is expected to account for 30% of the value of the power plant. Potentially, the cost of building three nuclear reactors could cost up to about PLN 200 billion, of which about 70% of this amount is to be debt financing.
Thus, counting debt financing on the basis of letters of intent (PLN 81 billion) and own contribution (less than PLN 60 billion), PEJ may still need a maximum of less than PLN 60 billion.
MORE AND MORE WORKING FOREIGNERS
The number of working foreigners in Poland is growing. They are already more than a million. They are also a growing group of all employees.
1,032,600 foreigners were working in Poland at the end of June. That’s almost 33,000 more than at the begin-
ning of the year and almost a quarter of a million more than at the beginning of 2022. Foreigners account for 6.7% of all workers, up from 6.5% at the beginning of the year. Their share among all workers is slowly rising.
More than one in three foreigners (394,000) work under a contract of mandate or related contract. The rest have employment contracts.
The largest number of foreigners work in Mazovia - more than 199,000. The smallest in the Świętokrzyskie Province - 8.200. More than 100,000 work in Lower Silesia and Wielkopolska. Less than 20,000 - in Opolskie, Podlaskie, Podkarpackie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie provinces. The regional distribution of foreigners in the labor market has not changed for
two years. They are most numerous in those regions with large cities. There are still more men than women, although the proportion is shrinking.
Working foreigners come from about 150 countries. The largest group of foreigners were Ukrainian citizens in June, with 698,500 working, just under 12,000 more than at the beginning of the year. More than one in nine working foreigners came from Belarus, and one in 38 from Georgia.
Social Security reported that among the insured, foreigners accounted for 7.1% at the end of June. More than 1.16 million foreigners were registered. This marked a 6% year-on-year increase. Half were employees, a third had assignments.
OKĘCIE’S EXPANSION CHEAPER BY HALF
The terminal enlargement at the capital’s Chopin Airport is expected to cost PLN 1.2 billion and pay for itself before the launch of the Central Transportation Port (CPK).
The 20-millionth passenger checked in at Warsaw’s Chopin Airport this year. It’s possible that by the end of the year the number of travelers will reach 21 million, which means it will be nearly 12% higher than in the record-breaking 2019 so far.
Except that the port is becoming increasingly congested. Airlines that apply for slots, or takeoff and landing permits, are increasingly receiving a negative response. Airport Coordination Limited (ACL), which allocates these permits, has had to reject 20% of carrier applications for the 2025 summer season.
The previous government assumed that the growing demand would be met by the completion of the Central Transportation Port in 2028, and that temporarily the crowding at Okęcie would be relieved by the modernized Radom airport. However, low-cost airlines or charters are unlikely to move there.
The new government has decided that the deadlines given by its predecessors for the completion of the new airport in Baranów are completely unrealistic. According to current assumptions, the investment will be completed in 2032. As a result, it was deemed necessary in the meantime to return to the idea of expanding Okęcie, which was abandoned in 2019. The investment will not only relieve crowding, but is also expected to allow LOT to grow. The idea is that when it
moves to CPK, the national carrier will be a suitably strong airline able to take advantage of the new opportunities.
In April, Polish Airports (PPL) head Andrzej Ilków announced that the work, which consists primarily of enlarging the terminal and rebuilding the aprons, will cost PLN 2.4 billion. He added that the investment would be completed in 2029. Immediately, voices were raised that spending such an amount would be mismanagement, as it would not have time to pay for itself before CPK was handed over. This was indirectly admitted by Ilkow himself, who said in an interview with Dziennik Gazeta Prawna daily in May that the expansion of Okęcie would pay for itself only in 2034.
Maciej Lasek, plenipotentiary for the construction of CPK, now admits that in clarifying the concepts for investment at Chopin Airport before the PPL authorities, he set a specific task: “Together with CPK president Filip Czernicki, we told them to propose such a modernization that would consume as little cost as possible and at the same time could depreciate by the time traffic was transferred to Baranów airport,” he told the daily.
Lasek says this task has been accomplished. The expansion concept is already ready. The key change is in the cost of the expansion. It was possible to halve them - instead of PLN 2.4 billion, the investment is to cost about PLN 1.2 billion. “A slightly smaller variant of the investment was chosen. We optimized certain assumption, for example, as to the possibility of moving passen-
Andrzej Ilków
gers around the terminal,” Lasek said. In addition to design optimizations, a large enlargement of the terminal on the north side was abandoned. However, this part will see some reconstruction in order to increase the capacity to serve passengers flying to non-Schengen countries, such as the United States and Asian countries. These are flights served primarily by large Boeing 787 Dreamliners. In this part of the airport station, the layout of the “sleeves” by which passengers board will change.
The terminal will be extended primarily in the southern direction, where new gates will appear to serve travelers departing for Schengen countries. Once the piers, where travelers wait to board planes, are extended, access to some gates will also become longer. In the case of the Baranów terminal planned from scratch, better solutions could have been designed. There will be a central section with check-in desks and from it radial piers with “sleeves” will diverge.
A new environmental decision and a new restricted-use area around the airport will not be needed to expand the port. “Now the fleet arriving at Chopin Airport is much quieter than in 2011, when the limited use area was created. We already know that with the same noise limits it will be possible to increase the maximum number of operations per day from 600 to 800,” Ilków said.
A detailed design of the investment will have to be made next year. Construction work is to be carried out in 2026-2029. PPL authorities assume that subsequent elements of the expanded terminal will be successively put into operation. The works should not hinder the operation of the airport station too much.
BLACK FUTURE OF LIGNITE
Government documents assume that lignite power plants will continue to operate in 2040, but will not produce electricity. According to Instrat, if there are no early shutdowns, capacity utilization as early as 2030 could be as low as 5%.
The lignite mining concession for the Turów power complex will expire in 2044, so PGE GiEK SA assumes that the complex will continue to operate until then. The same is evident from the statements of Robert Kropiwnicki, deputy minister of state assets, who recently declared that Turów’s future is secure, and that the abundance of the Turoszów deposit will allow its exploitation. But such a vision is incompatible with both the assumptions of climate policies and trends in the domestic energy market. According to Instrat analysts, who prepared the report “The Twilight of Coal in Turów. The Region Needs a Just Transition,” the end of power generation at the Turów plant is likely to be 2035, which is when the power contract for the plant’s newest power unit will expire.
The Turów complex is expected to be the longest-operating lignite power plant in Poland. In 2023, it will have a capacity of more than 2 GW against 7.6 GW of domestic lignite capacity. The plant covered about 5.6% of the country’s electricity demand having produced more than 8 TWh of electricity. However, the competitiveness of lignite combustion dropped significantly after the EU ETS CO2 allowance price increase in 2018. Lignite is the most carbon-intensive source per unit of energy produced.
The last government policy document consistent with the announcements of lignite mining in Turów until 2044 was the Energy Policy of Poland until 2040 of 2021. According to this document, the net installed capacity of lignite power plants is 1.1 GW in 2040. This would be consistent with the closure of the Bełchatów complex and part of the Turów units. However, capacity utilization would fall below 50% in 2040.with production of 4.6 TWh per year.
In the draft update to the National Energy and Climate Plan, whose
consultation ended in mid-November, a more ambitious transition scenario assumes that lignite power generation would fall by 63% between 2025 and 2030, to 11.4 TWh gross per year. However, this would not be accompanied by a decline in installed capacity. This, in turn, would mean a drop in capacity utilization from 48% to 18%. In subsequent years, it would be even lower - 9% in 2035 and 0% in 2040. Installed capacity under the ambitious scenario would then be 0.7 GW, but power generation would be 0 GWh. According to the authors of the Istrat report, this could mean keeping the power plant only in cold reserve in case of major failures of other sources.
Instrat analyzed alternative scenarios: the optimal model for the Polish energy system shows that the share of coal in electricity production may fall below 10% as early as 2030 (in the ambitious transition scenario), but it will only be hard coal. Instead, the role of natural gas and biomethane will increase (by almost 30%); the assumption of a reduced role of gas or delayed development of RES also does not result in more than 1.3 GW of lignite power in the system in 2030. Only forcing the maintenance of lignite capacity makes it so that 6.6 GW units would still be operating in 2030, producing 3.1 TWh of energy, which
would mean a capacity utilization of only 5%. In 2035, production would already be only 0.1 TWh. Lignite is primarily replacing hard coal, and energy production from lignite units is so low due to rising EU ETS emission prices. In a scenario of lower and lower energy production, fixed costs, such as salaries for workers and pumping water to drain the pit, will play an increasingly important role. In the case of complexes such as Turów, where the open pit is closely connected to the lignite power plant, fixed costs are crucial to the profitability of the entire complex. “Unlike hard coal, lignite cannot be easily transported or stored. The limitations are due to technical reasons. Therefore, the profitability of the power plant should not be analyzed in isolation from the open pit, which significantly reduces the competitiveness of the lignite-based power complex in a low utilization situation,” Michał Smoleń, one of the authors of the report, told Dziennik Gazeta Prawna daily.
According to Instrat, maintaining a lignite power plant would require adopting special subsidies in addition to extending power plant capacity contracts. It would also result in a higher cost of energy production: in 2030 it would be PLN 434 per MWh, compared to PLN 415 in the active transition scenario (the 2023 value).
The Turów lignite mine