Poland Government Profile 2013 Country name conventional long form: Republic of conventional short form: local long

form: Rzeczpospolita local short form: Polska Republic name: Warsaw geographic coordinates: 52 15 N, 21 00 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October 16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie (Lower Silesia), Kujawsko-Pomorskie (Kuyavia-Pomerania), Lodzkie, Lubelskie (Lublin), Lubuskie (Lubusz), Malopolskie (Lesser Poland), Mazowieckie (Masovia), Opolskie, Podkarpackie (Subcarpathia), Podlaskie, Pomorskie (Pomerania), Slaskie (Silesia), Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie (Warmia-Masuria), Wielkopolskie (Greater Poland), Zachodniopomorskie (West Pomerania) 11 November 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates: A.D. 966 (adoption of Christianity, traditional founding date), 1 July 1569 (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth created) Constitution Day, 3 May (1791) adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997; passed by national referendum 25 May 1997; effective 17 October 1997 Poland Poland Polska

Government type Capital

Administrative divisions

Independence

National holiday Constitution

Legal system

civil law system; changes gradually being introduced as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts, but rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final law accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation Suffrage

18 years of age; universal chief of state: President Bronislaw KOMOROWSKI (since 6 August 2010) head of government: Prime Minister Donald TUSK (since 16 November 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Janusz PIECHOCINSKI (since 6 December 2012) cabinet: Council of Ministers accountable to the prime minister and Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president sign up and the Sejm sanction the Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 June and 4 July 2010 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm election results- Bronislaw komorowski chosen president, percent of popular vote - komorowski 53% and 47% Jaroslaw kaczynski. bicameral legislature includes higher house, the Senate or else Senat (100 place; members chosen by a majority vote on provincial basis to serve 4 year terms), and a secondary house, the Sejm (460 places; members chosen under a complex system of proportional representation to serve fouryear terms); the title of national assembly or else zgromadzenie narodowe is only used on those odd occasions

Executive branch

Legislative division

when the both houses get together jointly elections: Senate - last held on 9-10- 2011 (next October 2015); Sejm - last held on 9 October 2011 (next October 2015) election results and current seat distribution: Senate - percent of vote by the party - NA; seats by party PO 63, PiS 29, PSL 2, SP 2, independents 4; Sejm - percent of vote by party - PO 39.2%, PiS 29.9%, RD 10%, PSL 8.4%, SLD 8.2%, other 4.3%; seats by party - PO 206, PiS 137, RP 43, PSL 28, SLD 25, SP 19, independent 1, German minority 1 note: the German minority is exempt from the 5% threshold requirement for seats to Sejm Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an indefinite period); Constitutional Tribunal (judges are chosen by the Sejm for nine-year terms)

Political parties Civic Platform or PO [Donald TUSK, chairman; Rafal and leaders GRUPINSKI, parliamentary caucus leader]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD [Leszek MILLER, chairman, parliamentary caucus leader]; Democratic Party or PD [Brygida KUZNIAK, chairwoman]; Democratic Party or SD [Pawel PISKORSKI, chairman]; German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Ryszard GALLA, representative]; Law and Justice or PiS [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI, chairman; Mariusz BLASZCZAK, parliamentary caucus leader]; League of Polish Families or LPR [Witold BALAZAK, chairman]; Palikot's Movement or RP [Janusz PALIKOT, chairman]; Poland Comes First or PJN [Pawel KOWAL, chairperson]; Polish People's Party or PSL [Janusz PIECHOCINSKI, chairman; Jan BURY, parliamentary caucus leader]; Social Democratic Party of Poland or SDPL [Wojciech FILEMONOWICZ, chairman]; Union of Labor or UP

[Waldemar WITKOWSKI, chairman]; United Poland or SP (political grouping of former PiS members, not officially registered) [Arkadiusz MULARCZYK, chairperson; Patrick HOW, parliamentary caucus leader] Political pressure All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union) [Jan groups and leaders GUZ]; Roman Catholic Church [Cardinal Stanislaw DZIWISZ, Archbishop Jozef MICHALIK]; Solidarity Trade Union [Piotr DUDA] International organization participation Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC chief of mission: Ambassador Ryszard SCHNEPF in chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802 FAX: [1] (202) 328-6271 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen MULL embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch) telephone: [48] (22) 504-2000 FAX: [48] (22) 504-2688 consulate(s) general: Krakow

Diplomatic representation the US

Diplomatic representation from the US

Flag description

two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; colors derive from the Polish emblem - a white eagle on a red field note: similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white name: "Mazurek Dabrowskiego" (Dabrowski's Mazurka) lyrics/music: Jozef WYBICKI/traditional note: adopted 1927; the anthem, commonly known as "Jeszcze Polska nie zginela" (Poland Has Not Yet Perished), was written in 1797; the lyrics resonate strongly with Poles because they reflect the numerous occasions in which the nation's lands have been occupied

National anthem

Polish political system The polish political system is defined by the Constitution of 2 nd April1997. It states that the Republic of Poland is a democratic state ruled by law, implementing the rules of social justice, safeguarding the independence and integrity of its territory, ensuring the freedoms and rights of citizens and the security of the citizens, safeguarding the national heritage and ensuring the protection of the natural environment in line with the principle of sustainable development.

The foundation ensures that there is freedom of the press and of other means of social statement, as well as freedom of belief, religion and philosophy, and it protects marriage, understood as the union of a man and a woman, the family, motherhood and parenthood as well.

The social market economy, based on the freedom of economic activity, private

ownership and solidarity, dialogue and support between social partners, is the basis of the economic structure of the Republic of Poland.

The system of government of the Republic of Poland is based on the principle that there is separation and balance between legislative, executive and legal powers.

lawmaking power is vested in the Sejm and the Senate, executive power is vested in the President of the Republic of Poland and the Council of Ministers and judicial power is vested in courts and tribunals.

About Polish Constitution The Constitution is the highest law in the Republic of Poland. It consists of a Preamble and 13 Chapters. It was passed on 2nd April 1997 and then accepted by the National Assembly by a majority of 451 votes in favour. There were 6 abstaining votes and 40 votes against adopting it.

The referendum which subsequently confirmed the Constitution took place on 25th May 1997. It has been came in effective three months after it was announced on 17th, October,1997.

The Constitution has been amended only once so far by the Sejm on 8th September 2006. The changes were connected with the European Arrest Warrant and

concerned the possibility of transferring a Polish citizen for trial or detention if the citizen in question had committed a crime and was wanted both in Poland and abroad.

The Coat of Arms Article 2 specifies that the Polish coat of arms shall consist of an image of an eagle wearing a golden crown, with its wings outstretched, its head turned to its right and its beak and talons golden, in a red field.

The coat of arms containing an eagle as the symbol of the ruling dynasty appeared for the first time in the 1st half of the 13th century and, during the reign of Ladislaus the Short, it became the official coat of arms of the country.

After Poland regained its independence in 1919, the Sejm accepted the White Eagle as the national coat of arms. A new image was introduced based on the design of Professor Z. Kamiski and modelled after the coat of arms of Stephen Bathory's times which was almost identical to the coat of arms currently used. After 1945, the eagle in the coat of arms is similar to the image used before the war but was depicted without a crown (in agreement with a decree of 1955).

National symbols The national symbols are the White Eagle, the red and white colour and the national anthem, "DbrowskisMazurek" in agreement with the Act on Coat of Arms.

National colors The national colors are white and red, in two horizontal, parallel line of equal width: the upper line is white and the lower line is red. The flag of the Republic of Poland is a rectangular sheet of fabric bearing the colors of the country and hoisted on a flagpost.

Territorial government Executive 1. administrative leaders, bodies of the and territorial government of are: cities:

borough

mayors,

presidents

in gminas (without cities of poviat status) 2,411 such persons; in cities of poviat status 65 such persons; 2. The authorities of poviats 1,509 members (11.1% of which were women), including 1,405 councilors, 280 of which presided over the authorities of the poviats and 247 of which were deputy presidents; 3. The authorities of voivodeships 77 members (6.5% of which were women), including 70 councilors, 16 of which presided over the authorities of the voivodeships and 26 of which were deputy presidents.

Territorial structure

As of 1st January 1999, a new, three-level territorial division of the state has been introduced, according to which the state consists of: communes (gminas), districts (poviats) and provinces (voivodeships). This division is still effective as of now.

A part of a gmina is the lowest unit of local management, usually comprising a sole village. As of 31st December 2007, there were 40,398 such units.

The largest gmina in terms of area is the gmina of pisz (634 km) in the poviat of pisz and the smallest is the urban gmina of growoIaweckie (3 km), located in the bartoszyckipoviat in the warmisko-mazurskievoivodeship.

The gmina with the foremost population is the city of Warsaw (1706.6 thousand) which is also a city having poviat status, located in the mzowieckievoivodeship, while the gmina with the least population is krynicaMorska (1.4 thousand) in the nowodworskipoviat in the pomorskievoivodeship. The chief poviat is the biaostockipoviat (2,976 km) in the podlaskievoivodeship and the least poviat is the bierusko-pdziskipoviat (158 km) located in the slskievoivodeship. The poviat with the greatest population is the Poznaskipoviat (303.6 thousand) in the Wielkopolskievoivodeship while the poviat with the smallest population is the Sejneskipoviat (21.2 thousand) in the Podlasikievoivodeship.

Involvement in peace missions (based on Small Statistical Yearbook 2008)

On the program of the United Nations, international organizations, actions have been taken aimed at maintaining peace and preventing armed conflicts in the world as well.

Poland has been participating in peace missions and operations since 1953. Between 1953 and 2007, the soldiers and civilians of poland employed by the army participated in 78 peace missions and operations, 35 of which were organised under the auspices of the United Nations. The aggregate professional soldiers, compulsory military service soldiers, re-enlisted service soldiers and civilians employed by the army who participated in those missions and operations is 72.7 thousand. In 2007, Poland has participated in 7 (both continued and new) peace missions and operations. From 5,245 people delegated in the year 2007 has taken part in peace missions and operations, 4,573 were expert armors, 611 were obligatory service soldiers and re-enlisted armors, and 61 civilians were employed by the army. As well, since 2003, Poland has been a part of the International Stabilization Force in the country Iraq. from 2003-2007, the Polish Military Contingent (9 shifts altogether) incorporated 14,018 persons, consisting 11,478 expert armors, 2,154 obligatory service armors and re-enlisted service armors, and 368 civilians employed by the army.

Government scheme of Poland:

Poland is a republic. The scheme of administration of the state of Poland is base on the separation of and equilibrium among the legislative, executive and administrator authority. Lawmaking power is vested in the Sam and the governing body, decisionmaking power is vested in the leader of the Republic of Poland and the Council of Ministers, and legal power is vested in the courts and tribunal.

Polish public managerial system is based on the division into middle and local (selfgovernment) administration. According to a basic principle included in the establishment, local powers that be are chosen by citizens. The structure of the Polish local autonomy consists of: 2478 commune, 379 counties and 16 voivodeships. Poland is a associate of many global organizations, among others: the European Union, NATO, WTO, OECD.

The Legislative Authority The Polish assembly consists of two lawmaking body. The inferior house is called Sam, and council is the upper house. 460 chosen deputies sit in Sejm, and 100 senators in the governing body. Applicant rank for Sam has to be citizens of Poland, like occupied civil rights and old at smallest amount 21 on top of the day of the take part in an election. Candidate to the governing body must be 30 years old. Deputies (Members of Sam) are return for the electoral electorate where they win their permission. Most electorate limits agree with those of one or several gamines. In large cities constituency may be lesser in area. During a parliamentary take part in an election, neither

member of Sam nor senators are bound in any method by the instructions of their constituency, but perform have the rightful force to be guide by the happiness of the total state. The Polish political scheme is base on a party system. In the parliamentary, presidential, and restricted vote applicant hold up by significant political party place an improved option of attainment. Parliamentarians fit in to the similar following collection generate their parliamentary "association" inside the Sejm and leading body. In put into practice the majority of the invoice and legislative adjustment is transport to the residence from surface to surface the parliamentary club. Parliamentary deputies contribute in Sejm session and have the right to question members of the committee of minister; they work in many, enduring or particular, committee emotionally involved to Sejm or governing body, and recognized to appraisal various issues related to state management and public life. The following permanent committee functions within the Sejm of the state of Poland:

management and Internal dealings group farming and Rural growth group group on link with pole overseas legitimate answerability group Culture and Media group Deputies' principles group Economic group teaching, discipline and childhood group Environment defense, Natural Resources and Forestry group European group Foreign relationships group physical condition group Infrastructure group

fairness and person human rights group lawmaking group restricted Self - administration and local Policy group nationwide and racial Minorities group nationwide protection group Physical teaching and game group community money group system and Deputies' relationships group societal rule and relations group exacting equipped services group situation manage group situation coffers

The next parliamentary association operates in the present Sejm and leading body, selected for the sound which begin in 2011 and will finish in 2015:

The public stage (PO) The rule and fairness social gathering (PiS) The Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) The Polish Peasants' Party (PSL) The Palikot's Movement (RPP) The Solidarna Polska Party (SP)

Parliamentary work is synchronized by its constitutional body:

marshal (speaker) of the Sejm and governing body Sejm and governing body board (marshal and Deputy Marshals) The conclave of senior (Marshals, Deputy Marshals and Chairpersons of parliamentary clubs)

Sejm and governing body committee

President The leader plays a very significant position in the Polish lawful scheme. His human rights and obligation are strong-minded by the establishment of the state of Poland (passed in April 1997). In agreement with the present establishment, the leader of the state of Poland is the top of state, the highest delegate of Poland and the backer of the permanence of government. This income that the leader heads the decision-making power, is chosen to stand for Polish welfare on the global stadium, ensure the ceremony of the establishment, and is accountable for the safety of the status. The leader calls election to Sejm and governing body and in strange situation has the correct to cut down their conditions. He can describe a nationwide referendum in matter significant for the form; require the choice of all the people.

The leader has a gratis option in select the major cleric, yet in do he more often than not does not give the job of form a new government to a official who does not authority a bulk in Sejm. The leader has the chance to in a straight line power the lawmaking procedure by using his rejection to stop a bill; however, his rejection can be overrule by a 3/5 bulk vote in the attendance of at least semi of the constitutional number of member of Sejm (230). Previous to sign a bill and creation it law, the leader can too ask the legitimate Tribunal to confirm its fulfillment with the establishment, which in do bears a important power on the lawmaking procedure. In his role of highest envoy of the shine state, the leader ratifies and revokes global agreement, nominates and recalls ambassador and accepts the accreditations of legislative body of other states. The leader also makes decisions on the honor of state distinction and instructions. In adding, he has the correct of mercy, that is he can send away last courtyard verdicts (in do, the leader consult such decision with the Minister of fairness). The leader is also the highest leader of the carrying weapons Forces; he appoint the leader of universal employees and the commander of all the carrying weapons forces; in war he nominate the leader of the carrying weapons Forces and can order universal recruitment. The leader performs his duty with the help of the next office: the Chancellery of the leader, the Office of nationwide safety, and the corpse of Advisors to the leader. Following the airplane crash in Smolensk and the bereavement of the President Lech Kaczynski, presidential elections were held. As a result, Bronisaw Komorowski was chosen the novel top of condition.

The Supreme Chamber of Control The highest hall of manage (NIK) is one of the oldest state institution in Poland, shaped beneath the next state on February 7, 1919, hardly 3 months following the reinstatement of Poland's self-government. It was shaped on the plan of the Head of State, J zefPisudski. as of its extremely primary day, NIK has been the country's highest decision-making body, empower to work out extensive manager of the income and spending of the state and all institution and corporation that create use of community money. NIK is free to review all state institution, government and narrow government administrative units, jointly with those business body and non-governmental organization which perform public contract or take delivery of government grant and guarantee.

Under the present system, NIK is responsible to Sejm, which appoint its president for a 6-year word, with the endorsement of the governing body. Conditions of place of work of the NIK chairman do not of necessity agree with persons of the assembly, which in do prevents this place of work from being needy on any one following party. Like member of Sejm, the chairman of NIK also enjoys resistance: he cannot be under arrest or indict without the permission of Sejm. At present, the position of NIK Chairman is detained by Mr. MirosawSekua, chosen to this place of work by Sejm throughout its preceding term. The highest hall of Control operates from side to side its department and delegate offices. The separation into department reflects the range of the matter it controls, and thus NIK include the next department: community management, financial plan and money, financial system, funds and Privatization, message and convey system, discipline, teaching and nationwide Heritage, nationwide boldness and interior safety, work, communal relationships, and physical condition, surroundings, farming, and Spatial growth. The separation into delegate offices is linked with the defensive separation of Poland. The figure of NIK delegate office, 16, age group that of the voivodeships. NIK institute manage events on its own plan, at the ask for of Sejm or its body or legislative body (e.g. the Speaker of Sejm), the leader of the state, or the major priest. Particular type of NIK activities includes audit of the condition financial plan and of the main beliefs of monetary policy, as well as the NIK view in votes of self-assurance for the committee of minister. The highest hall of manage cooperate with like body in the European combination country, with the European courtyard of auditor, global panel of auditor for NATO, as well as the audit establishment in further country of Central and Eastern Europe such as the Czech nation, Slovakia, Russia, and Hungary.

The highest hall of manage also cooperate with its European associates within the structure of EUROSAI - the European association of highest review institution, which is one of eight local group of INTOSAI - the global association of highest review institution.

The Judicial Authority

In Poland the judges, with the highest courtyard at their top, jointly with the self-governing condition court and legitimate court, make sure the self-government of the judges. The highest Court The Supreme Court supervise the arbitration in:

Universal judges - these are region, voivodeship, and petition judges. They arbitrate in the area of social, illegal, relations and work rule.

Armed judges - that is route and barracks judges. They contract with matter connecting to crime dedicated by military in vigorous repair, resident workers in armed unit, and prisoner of conflict.

Managerial judges - a divide square scheme which deals with arbitration on the legal fulfillment of decision in use by managerial body. It also settles cases flanked by lawful people (corporations) or confidential people and managerial body.

The highest square is the square of previous choice of petition against judgment in the inferior judges. It also passes resolution to explain explicit lawful requirements and resolution arguable question in exact luggage.

The leader of the state of Poland appoints highest square adjudicators. This is complete ahead a movement of the nationwide legal committee. The leader too selects the primary leader of the highest square as of candidate accessible by the universal meeting of the highest courtyard of impartiality. The First leader of this courtyard hold place of work for a six-year word, although he or she might be dismiss by Sejm upon a movement by the leader of the state of Poland. The Constitutional Tribunal the lawful courtyard is a lawful corpse familiar to create your brain up argument on top of the constitutionality of the performance of condition organization; its main work is to run the completion of lawful rule by the organization of the condition of Poland. The legitimate court adjudicate on the observance with the establishment of legislation and global agreement (also their ratification), on dispute over the power of middle legitimate bodies, and on fulfillment with the establishment of the aim and behavior of following party. It also system on legitimate complaint. The legitimate court is complete up of 15 adjudicators selected by Sejm for nine-year conditions. They are fully self-governing. The legitimate court constitutes one of the official guarantees of a condition beached on the law of rule. The State Tribunal

it is the legal corpse, which system on the legitimate legal responsibility of people investment the maximum office of state. It examine luggage about the contravention of the establishment and laws or crime dedicated by the leader of the state of Poland, member of the government , the leader of the highest assembly room of Control, the leader of the nationwide Bank of Poland, head of middle managerial office and additional older state official.

The condition court is empower to law for the taking away of persons from community office, to impose injunction on persons next to their meeting to older office, to annul an persons right to take part in an election and to stand for election, to remove before award medal, distinction, and title of respect, and in illegal luggage to inflict penalty set in the illegal system. The work of art of the condition Tribunal is recognized at the first session of each novel Sejm and is compulsory for its word. The top of the workplace is the First leader of the highest Court. His two deputies and 16 member of the condition court are selected from outer the Sejm. Member of the State court have to grasp buff nationality, might not have illegal evidence or contain do not have their public human rights revoke, nor might they be working in the state management.

POLITICAL PARTIES The transformation of 1989 brings basic alter to the following and social gathering scheme in Poland. The Polish joint staff social gatherings, which have before enjoy domination for its collective philosophy, was grateful to give up this rank in good turn of political pluralism. At first, the following split was a straightforward line flanked by groups and party that emerge from the unity group, and the postCommunist groups. At present, this separation has become rather vaguer and of smaller result and in a lot of conduct the buff following prospect now resembles European and soil pattern.

Thus, the following party in Poland represents a wide range of community agreement, with group which may be following as social-democratic, openminded, traditional, nationwide, rural-interest, or populist. There are also fundamental group with a insignificant sum of community understanding. a number of observer of the Polish following prospect have endeavored to define a customary separation into left-wing, right-wing, and centre, but in put into practice extremely a small number of the accessible party might be precisely describe in conditions of such definition.

The major subsequent parties in Poland are as follows: The Civic Platform (PO)

The Law and Justice Party (PiS)

Palikot's Movement (RPP)

The Polish Peasants' Party (PSL)

The Democratic Left Alliance (SLD)

Political parties and election

Summary of the 09 October 2011 Polish National Assembly election results Parties Votes Sejm p.r.%(* ) % Seat s +/ Senate MPs %/ Seat votes s % 2.33 63 +/

Civic Platform (stage Obywatelska, PO) Law and Justice (Prawo i Sprawiedliwod , PiS)

5,629,77 3

18,30

39,1 8

207

+3

4,295,01 6

13,96

29.8 9

157

2.22

31

German opposition (Mniejszod Niemiecka, MN) Our House Poland (Nasz Dom Polska) unconventional (Niezaleni)

28,014 0,09 0.20

0.03

9,733 0,03 0.05

1.48

N/A

N/A

N/A N/A N/A

4 +3

Sum

14,369,503

460

100

Record of voters: 30,762,931 Sum of Votes: 15,050,027 (48,92%) indispose votes: 680,524 sound votes: 14,369,503 (95,48%) p.r.%(*) = percentage of sound votes for that person, from every Record voters list(30,762,931)

PjN did not occur at the previous poll, but had 15 space Sejm and 1 Senate space when the previous government was disappear

Summary of the 20 June 2010 and 4 July 2010 shelter presidential vote results Candidates Parties First round polls Bronisaw Komorowski City stand (Platforma Obywatelska) Jarosaw Kaczyoski constitution and equity (Prawo i Sprawiedliwod) Grzegorz Napieralski - popular Left union (Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej) Janusz Korwin-Mikke selfdetermintation and Lawfulness (Wolnod i Praworzdnod) Waldemar Pawlak shelter People's 6,981,319 % 41.54 Second round polls 8,933,887 % 53.01

6,128,255

36.46

7,919,134

46.99

2,299,870

13.68

416,898

2.48

294,273

1.75

function (Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe) Andrzej Olechowski independent Andrzej Lepper Self- protection, of the commonwelth of Poland (Samoobrona Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej) Marek Jurek authority of the commonwelth (Prawica Rzeczypospolitej) Bogusaw Zitek Free dealing merger "August 80" (Wolny Zwizek Zawodowy "Sierpieo 80") Kornel Morawiecki on self of confilct unity (Solidarnod Walczca) Sum votes for candidates Sum of sound votes Sum of indispose votes Sum of votes throw attendance, 242,439 214,657 1.44 1.28

177,315

1.06

29,548

0.18

21,596

0.13

16,806,170 100.00 16,853,021 100.00 16,806,170 117,662 99.30 16,853,021 0.70 197,396 98.84 1.16

16,923,832 100.00 17,050,417 100.00 54.94% 55.31%

Source: Electoral Commission, National Electoral Commission

European anarchism settler of Poland country. 3rd of may 1971, canon was introduce into the old world by the Polands king and parliament of Poland country. April 2nd 1997 the national Assembly pass the current canon and it was approved by a nation in the canon Referendum & It was signed by the president of Poland Aleksanderkwasniewski on July 16th 1997, & their effect can be seen into the October 17th 1997. The canon shield the entitlement of the impregnability corresponded. The individual is entitlement for his/her view, and entitlement for speech, organization & restful gathering, also contribute for public service & every citicizen is entitled for votes and stand into election to the of parliament common wealth. And they have rights to take whole detail about the activity of public authorities. The Shine stable also save the freedom of ownership and legacy, right of choice of career, freedom for appropriate welfare situation in the workplace, it warranty minimum wages, shelter of health and society benefits as well as the freedom for education the stable also grants right for artistic duration research right to teach, and to enjoy cultural heritage. The stable commonwealth of Poland bear exceptional for the affluence of household & the freedom for children. The shine stable force certain duty that shine public affords towards the country. The first duty is faithfully to the commonwealth and concern for the some furites.

All the consistent of shine country are impose with the uploading of the agreement with the stable. This is the notable obligation of the stable board a court appointed to oversee the of consititutional every shine public has the authority to bring a complaint to the broad vs. any breach of the law.

HISTORY OF POLITICS IN POLAND: Poland in the Middle Ages

In 966

Polish duke mieszko i adopts Christianity The adoption of Western Christianity from Rome, rather than Eastern Christianity from Constantinople,was very benefical for Poland whose become a part of Western civilisation.

In 1025

Bolesaw i the valiant is first crowned king of Poland His coronation confirm by the independence of the shine country and their strong part is that standing between the domain of Europe.

In 1138 1320

internal fragmentation of Poland King Bolesaw III share out the state between his sons In 1138. The state was further share out in future years and became a unsecure body of small principalities. Wadysaw I In 1320 the Elbow-high was regulated the country and was crowned prince of Poland.

In 12011238

Nevertheless in the 12th and 13th state Poland fare well and conurbation existence growed from 1201 to 1238 A king Henry the Bearded reigned. His wife Jadwiga attract the German merchants and craftsmen to come and stay away in Poland. They search out the kingdom with German laws. Some Germans also came to farm uncultivated land in Poland.

In 124142

the Mongols was occupy Poland In 1241-42. The Poles were fault at the conflict of Legnica in April 1241 but the Mongols soon extract.

In 1334

investiture of kazimierz the great (13101370) Kazimierz was the only buff majesty in buff history who received the name the Great.

In 1370

dying of kazimierz the significant resolution of the piast family. the angevin family is brought to Poland After Kazimierz the significant died without a lawful heir to the throne, Louis the significant of greedy

(called Louis of greedy in Poland) from the Angevin family was head majesty of Poland In 1374 Kazimierz was victory by his nephew Louis, the majesty of greedy. Louis wanted his daughter to victory as king of Poland him but in order to get the harmony of the shine awards he was enforced to significant them adjustment. The advantage of Koszyce (1374) made the lords exempt from most types of tax. It also gave them an advantage role in pralament. In future no advantage commitment could be made without their agreement.

In 1384

louis daughter jadwiga (13731399) is head ruler lady of poland. Jadwiga was the first ruler lady replete in shine history.

In 1385

merger of krewo Beginning of Jagiellonian family in Poland and bron in the shineLithuanian merger. The merger of Krewo was vaildated by the Lithuanian Grand Duke Jagieo (Jogaila) and shine titled, magnates and dignitaries. In it, Jagieo pledged to adopt Roman Christianity and unite Lithuania

In 1410

battle of grunwald The shine-Lithuanian impact communicated a decisive success over the Teutonic horseman.

In 1453

the citizener of Pomerani revolt against the Teutonic and distribution to the stake for assist In 1453. After 1,3 years of conflict between the standard catch Pomerania and Gdansk.

In 1505

nihilnovi act the beginning of the nobles democracy Latin: Nihilnovi nisi collective agreement(Nothing new without the common consent). This meant minimum the authority of the ruler. Nihilnovi founded the so-called lords elective governments in Poland. In this political system, the authority of the majesty was limited and the state was in application govern by the Sejm, which was classified into two cell: the Senate, composed of grandee and prelates, and the Cell of Envoys, composed of coordinate elected by district assemblies of shine and Lithuanian union titled. The Sejm was in impose of all law-making, purse matters (including taxation and budgets) and foreign exchange.

In 1560

In the 1560s the Jesuits reach Poland. They made a network of schools and colleges beyond Poland and they rash of difficulty of the Protestants.

In 1569

comity of lublin. Happening of the fuse shlter-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

In 1572

Exit of the jagiellonian dynasty When the shine majesty Zygmunt II Augustus died without any heirs, Poland became an vote monarchy where the ruler was vote by the goodness King Wadysaw the Elbow-high majesty Kazimierz the significant

In 1574

first vote ruler Henri de Valois of France was vote ruler of Poland

In 1648

chmielnicki revolt and the shlter-russian war The Chmielnicki revolt was a Cossack uprising that ruin south-eastern Poland. Beginning in 1654, the Cossacks were help by the Russian tsar, starting period of Russian impact over the region In present it is called by Ukraine. The Chmielnicki revolt exit in 1667.

In 1655

the deluge The Swedish capture of the shlter lands, which exit in 1660 with the certify of the compact of Oliwa. The flood is suggest as the exit of the successful Age of shlter-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the region of reverent tolerance in Poland.

In 1772

first partition of Poland The Nobles Democracy led to the weakening of central government, causing Poland to become a collection of small autonomous principalities. Polands three neighbours Austria, Prussia and Russia took advantage of the collapsing state to annex large areas of Polish territory.

In 1764

In 1764, after the shelter majesty dying Catherine the significant, Empress of Russia, intervened to have her sometime lover Stanislaw Poniatowski voted the new ruler of Poland. However Poniatowski decline to be a Russian pawn. He and a number of other prominent batten wanted reduce to strong part of the monarchy. However the Russians would not let it. It was in Russia's heed to keep Poland feeble and classified. There were also many conservative Polish titled who were unknown to surrender their benefits.

In1767

In 1767 the Russians obligatory Poland to obtain agreement. The agreement warranted the borders of Poland. It also warranted the rights of Orthodox Christians. (Although most arrested authorities of shelter titled. Russia would intervene if their authorities were menace (The tildes authorites kept Poland weak and without a strong central parliament so it was in Russia's flood to save them).

In 1788

the four year sejm The Four Year Sejm, also familiar with the significant Sejm, took region from 1788-1792. The goal was to launch major systemic improvement, add the strengthening of managerial authority.

In 1791

third of may constitution The significant achievement of the Four Year Sejm was the adoption of the constitution on 3 May 1791. However, the Targowica Confederation, formed by a group of nobles under the patronage of Catherine II of Russia, led to the overthrow of the constitution and the Second Partition of Poland.

In 1793

second division of Poland Poland was divided for the second occasion between Russia and Prussia. The occupation of the states most fruitful lands and business centres guide to Polands sum of economic settle.

In 1794

kociuszko revolt. TadeuszKociuszko back to Poland from America to Endeavour to

independent Poland from foreign rule. He counted on foreign bear, specially from France, and mass bear among shelter society. Despite his plead to peasants, Jews and other teams, Kociuszkos revolt did not collect enough organized, with many leaders afaired to fully assign themselves to the conflict, and did not reach broad fovoured bear. After the revolt was suppressed in 1831, the Russian rights take a series of reprisals. In 1807 In 1807 Napoleon rotated some of the shelter areas into the Duchy of Warsaw, a French space country. In 1812 almost 100,000 Poles brawl with Napoleon opposite Russia.

In 1815

In 1815 the significant European rights classified into the mainland. Poland was divided between Prussia, Russia and Austria. Prussia catch the western and northern part of Poland while Russia catch the middle and east. Austria retains Galicia.

In 1848

Leap of states (also called the european revolt of 1848 or the year of revolt) During the leap of state, a period of revolts and government upset in some European states post brawl against the Prussians in added Poland and the Austrians in Galicia. They also capture part in revolts in other fragment of Europe, added Hungary and Italy.

In 1863

january revolt Another revolt capture seat in the Russian state due to tsarist shelters

and the patriotic improvement of shelter community. Despite some first victory, the revolt was brutally press in 1864. About 25,000 Poles were eliminated, and thousands were deported to Siberia. In 1914 outbreak of the first world war The flare-up of earth War I shock many shelter govrmental activists who desired that they would be capable to find out an unconventional shelter state. However, there was a grete confilct about what part of the pillar should lay hold of during the confilct. In 1918 Finish of the first earth war Post brawl on all part of the First earth War. There was also a team of so-called Legionaries guide by Marshal JzefPisudski, notable conflict for shelter self-rule. In the finishing of the war, the shelter occasion received bear from American chief of Poland Woodrow Wilson, who declare in January 1918 that it was required to re-newd an shelf-rule shelter country. Shortly after, the complete Russian government provide a decree scrap the partition settlement and all the constitutions steaming from them. The confilct officially finished on 11 November 1918, which is today appraisal the day Poland recover self-rule. In 1919 shelter-soviet confilct A debate over the new shelter countrys eastern area and the wish of the Soviets to bring collectivism into Europe guide to the flare-up of the shelter-Soviet war. The shelter army managed to finish the Soviet proceed on 15 August 1920. The shelter success put a stop to the early Soviet regimes expansionist focus and purposeful the shelter-Soviet

boundary for the relax of the Interwar time. In 1921 march constitution The March canon fined Poland as a local and tolerant state, giving its religion a large span of high court authorities. In 1926 jzefpisudskis coup dtat Polands governmental and monetary confusion in the aftermath of the conflict, for the loger time with them.
In 1926 jzefpisudskis coup dtat Polands political and economic uproar in the aftermath of the war, along with the inability to create a viable parliamentary coalition, led to Marshal JzefPisudskis coup detat. Pisudski became the countrys de facto dictator and primarily was involved with military and foreign affairs. His close relate, Ignacy Mocicki, was elected president and parliaments role was limited. JzefPisudski, as a war hero, had a large following in Polish society and his vision of a multi-ethnic Poland especially appeal to minorities and priorities. In 1935 April constitution, death of jzefpisudski Instituted by Pilsudskis supporters, the April Constitution completely changed the Polish political system, increase the authority of the decision-making and limiting the role of parliament and system. The constitution can be seen as the next step following the May 1926 revolution to controlling rule. JzefPisudski died shortly after the constitution was adopted. In 1938 Munich agreement : Taking advantage of the appropriation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany, Poland annexed the disputed territories of Zalozie, Orava and Spis. These actions were condemned by public opinion in Poland and abroad. Shortly after this, Nazi Germany began advancing territorial claims on Polish territories.

In 1939

Molotov-Ribbentrop pact

Also known as the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, this was signed by the foreign ministers of Nazi Germany and the USSR on 23 August 1939 in this year. A secret section in the pact outlines the Nazi and Soviet spheres of influence in Central Europe and was mainly worried with the separation of Poland. In 1939 Outbreak of the second world war 1 September 1939: Nazi Germany invades Poland in this year. 17 September 1939: The Soviet Army invades Poland from the east in this year. After more than a month of war, Polish battle was crushed in early October 1939 in this year. Following are some guidelines of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Polish property were divided between the USSR and Nazi Germany. Parts of western Poland were annex directly to Nazi Germany and the take it easy became the General Government in Poland In 1940 Murder of polish officers in katyo, the first transport of prisoners arrives in Auschwitz around 230,000 Polish soldiers were taken prisoner by the Soviets during the so-called September Campaign in 1939. They were send to prisons and camps in the USSR. Near 20,000 officers who were imprisoned in camps in Kozielsk, Starobielsk and Ostashkov were murdered by the NKVD in 1940 in forests near the towns of Katyo, Kharkov and Mednoe. On 14 June 19, the first transport of Polish political prisoners were sent from Tarnw to Auschwitz I in this year. In 1943 tehran conference, warsaw ghetto uprising Representatives of the three Allied powers Great Britain, the United States and the USSR agreed the positioning of Polands post-war eastern borders, which would annex large areas of eastern Poland (today in western Lithuania, Belarus and western Ukraine) to the USSR, and instead give Poland additional territories in the west, annexed from Germany. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising broke out in April 1943. It was the largest action launched by the Jewish resistance against the Germans in occupied Europe. In 1944 Warsaw rising, polish committee of national liberation (pkwn) is formed As the Soviet Army higher west, the command of the Polish underground planned an

rising to liberate the funds from the Germans previous to the Soviets arrived. The Warsaw Uprising lasted 63 days but ended in collapse. About 18,000 Polish fighters and 190,000 civilians were killed and the city was approximately completely damaged. The Polish Committee of National Liberation (PKWN) was set up in Moscow in this year, comprising of Polish Communists who had survive Stalins purges in the 1930s or fled to the USSR during the war. The PKWN was supported by the USSR and declare its authority in July in Lublin. Its task was to set up the Communist system in Poland. In 1945 End of the second world war, Yalta discussion confirms soviet influence Over Poland. The Allied leaders met at Yalta in this year to discuss the political landscape of post-war Europe. It was at Yalta that the limits of the post-war Polish state were determined and Poland, along with most other countries of Central and Eastern Europe, set up itself in the Soviet sphere of control in this year. In 1947 parliamentary elections The Communists rigged the elections in order to seize total authority in Poland. After the elections, the legal resistance ceased to be present. In 1948 institution of polish united workers party (pzpr) The Polish United Workers Party (PZPR) was formed from the socialist Po lish Workers Party and several smaller satellite parties, both communist and socialist. As a effect, a single-party system, typical for Communist regimes, was introduced in Poland. From next on, the PZPR was referred to simply as "the Party". In 1956 The thaw, strikes in poznao Stalins temporary away in 1953 led to a period of liberalization known as the Thaw, which last waiting 1957. Regardless of this, the Polish United Workers Party continued to dominate the country. In June, a series of strikes took place in the city of Poznao, where workers protest beside shortages of food and consumer goods, bad housing and a steep decline in real income. Regarding 75 people were killed during the protests when the army was sent in to put down the riots. In the aftermath, salary was raised by 50% and the regime promise economic and

political reform. In 1968 Student protest, state-sponsored anti-zionist operation In March, students in Warsaw took to the street to protest academic restrictions introduced by the Communist government. The protests increase to other cities. All were in the end censored by the police and groups of so-called worker squad, who were sent by the government to attack the students. At the similar time, the Soviet Union determined to completely back the Arab country in their conflict against Israel, a Western ally. Next the defeat of the Soviet-backed Arab states by Israel in the Six-Day War in 1967, The countries of the Soviet Bloc (with the exception of Romania) insolvent tactful relations with Israel. The Polish Communist government ordered an anti-Zionist and anti-Israel propaganda campaign and began purging Jewish party members. Additionally, the regime blamed Zionists for the student protest, which became a springboard for a better anti-Semitic campaign in Poland. Concerning 20,000 Jews absent Poland as a result of the campaign. In 1970 strike in gdaosk, gdynia, szczecin, radom and ursus employees launched strikes in cities crosswise Poland, mostly on the coast and in central areas, protesting against increase in food prices. Many cities were clear by riots and battle with the police. The most amazing events occur in Gdaosk and Gdynia. In 1978 john paul ii is nominated pope For a lot of Poles, the election of Karol Wojtya as Pope was one of the things to see of the period. One of John Paul IIs primary representative visits was to Poland in June 1979, where excited crowds number in the hundreds of thousands welcomes him. John paul also gave implied support to the anti-Communist association on later trips to Poland. In 1980 solidarity trade union is founded in gdaosk in this year. The independent autonomous trade union Solidarity was found in the Lenin Shipyard in Gdaosk and led by Lech Wasa. Solidarity was not only a trade union

independent of the Communist command, but also a broad social group that united Poles across the social spectrum from people with strong relations with the Roman Catholic Church to members of the moderate left. In 1981 1983 Martial law (stanwojenny) Next a period where Solidarity functioned as a legal organization, the Communist government of Poland moved to squeeze the political opposition by declaring martial law. Daily life was greatly limited and pro-democracy movements such as Solidarity were barred. Major opposition leaders, together with Lech Wasa, were arrested and detained, and soldiers in armed vehicles patrolled the streets of every major Polish city. Thousands of regular people with connections to the opposition were also under arrest. Martial Law was lift by parliament on 22 July 1983. Logo of Polish United Workers gathering Workers complaint in Poznao in 1956 In 1983 In 1989 Solidarity leader lechwasa is awarded to Nobel peace prize in this year. Round table talks, legalization of solidarity, semi-free election in this year. Round Table Talks took place in Warsaw from 6 February to 4 April 1989. They were initiate by the government, which attempted to get to out to Solidarity and other banned opposition groups in an effort to resolve growing social conflict. As a result of the Round Table Agreements, semi-free elections were under arrest. In what became known as the Contract Sejm, two-thirds of the seats in the Sejm were set aside for the Communist Party and its coalition partners. The outstanding one-third could be contest in free elections. Solidaritys candidates won all of the open seats. General WojciechJaruzelski, the First desk of the Communist Party and the institutor of Martial Law, became President. Resistance member Tadeusz Mazowiecki was made Prime Minister and formed the non-Communist government which instantly adopted essential reforms, opening Polands change to a democratic, liberal political system. In 1990 lechwasa is elected president of Poland in this year.

After the resignation of General Jaruzelski, new presidential elections were held in this year. After his electoral win, Lech Wasa was given the presidential insignia by RyszardKaczorowski, the last President of the Polish Government-in-Exile, transmit presidential power to Wasa and emphasizing the continuity among the Second and Third Polish Republics. In this the Polish United Workers Party dissolves and in 1991 the first entirely free parliamentary elections were held. This was the final end of Communist period in Poland. In 1992 The small constitution is adopt Elements of the 1952 establishment that ensured Communist power of Poland were abolished, and replace with the tiny Constitution, which keeping pace relations among legislative and executive Powers, and introduce flexible democracy and the free market economy. In 1997 constitution of the third polish nation is adopt in this year The 1997 constitution is Polands present constitution. In 1999 Poland is admit to nato The accession of Poland to NATO following years of negotiations symbolize Polands return toward Europe Communism after 60 years In 2003 European union association referendum 77% of Polish voters voted in hold of joining the EU. In 2004 Poland becomes a part of the European union in this year. Poland officially became a part of the European Union on 1 May 2004.

Poland FOREIGN RELATIONS

President Lech Walesa meet with President George H.W. Bush on executive visit to Washington, 1991. Courtesy David Valdez, White House Photo Office. In mid-1992, Poland was enjoy the fruits of three years of skilled statesmanship by its foreign minister, Krzysztof Skubiszewski, who had intended for foreign policy in five governments beginning with Mazowiecki in August 1989. Skubiszewski guided Poland through a confused period during which Warsaw reclaimed full independence in overseas affairs for the first time since World War II and moved definitely to "rejoin Europe." The Soviet-dominated Warsaw Treaty institute (known as the Warsaw Pact--see Glossary) and its economic complement, the Council of Mutual Economic Cooperation (Comecon--see Glossary), which had set the parameter of Polish foreign policy for decades, no longer existed after mid-1991. By year's end, the Soviet Union itself had moved out, and by late 1992 Moscow

was to whole the withdrawal of battle troops from Poland. Meanwhile, Warsaw pursue forward-looking two-sided relations with the many newly self-governing states of the former Soviet Union. Only in the case of Lithuania could relatives with eastern neighbors be described as less than pleasant. To return the old Soviet-dominated military and trade structure, Poland sought collective security with its southern neighbors, the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic (see Glossary), and Hungary, with which it formed the so-called Visegrd Triangle. This arrangement envision a bilateral free trade zone fixed between Budapest and Warsaw, which both the Czechs and the Slovaks were invite to join. The Visegrd partners would also coordinate their strategy to join West European economic and military organization. In mid-1992, Poland's relationship with its other recognized enemy, Germany, also was superior. Acquiescing to German reunification, Warsaw won assurance that Bonn would recognize the Oder-Neisse Line as the official, everlasting boundary between Germany and Poland, passing the postwar transfer of German lands to Poland. Germany presented economic support, investment, and hold for Polish membership in the European Community (EC-- see Glossary). Relations with other Western nations in mid-1992 were generally outstanding. Warsaw was upset, however, by its inability to increase full membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Western European Union (WEU--see Glossary), and the EC and by the unwillingness of the West to inferior bring in tariff on Polish supplies. Traditionally warm tie with the United States returned to normal after the difficult 1980s, and Poland get well mostfavored-nation trade status and benefit from a choice of United States economic and technical assist. POLAND POLITICAL SETTING In the year 1980 in August , faced with an increasingly severe economic crisis and social unrest that had been structure throughout the 1970s, the communist government unwillingly accepted legal status to an independent labor federation, Solidarity (Solidarnosc). After monopolize power for thirty-five years without genuine sanction from Polish society, the communist Polish United Workers' Party (Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza--PZPR) found itself in contention with an alternative source of political power that had a valid claim to stand for the country's working people. Under the threat of general strikes and facing economic and political chaos, the government unwillingly reached a series of limited compromise with Solidarity in year 1980 and early 1981. After the government's initial concessions, however, Solidarity militants insisted on substantially broader concession. In response, PZPR hard-liners used the memories of the Soviet Union's violent reaction to Czechoslovakia's reasonable political reforms in 1968 to justify the imposition of martial law in December 1981 . Solidarity was declared illegal. General Wojciech Jaruzelski, earlier that year named prime minister and then first secretary of the PZPR,

selected trusted military men to key government position and de-emphasized communist ideology. Through the many years, the government sought in vain to recover a degree of legitimacy with the people and to beat the country's relentless economic problems. The overture of the Jaruzelski government failed, however, to win the support of the Polish people. In a key 1987 national referendum, voters refused to support the government's package of hurting reform needed to halt the economic slide. Finally, the government came to realize that improvement of the economic situation was not possible without the plain support of the Solidarity disagreement. The government had no more choices but to enter negotiations with Solidarity.

POLITICS AND THE MEDIA

Prior to the return of democracy in the year 1989, Poland's independent press defied state censorship and flourish to degree unknown in other East European communist states. Active publication by opposition groups in the 1970s formed a tradition for the well-organized sharing of censored materials that flowered in the controversial decade that followed. The Early Opposition Press As early on as 1970, underground groups had begun issuing opposition literature that included short-lived periodical, strike announcement, and brochures. By 1976 opposition groups were better began and organized issuing powerful carbon-copied and mimeographed serials. In the autumn of that year, KOR began produce its Biuletyn Informacyjny (Information Bulletin). During the period between 1976 and 1980, about 500 free serial titles were recorded, some with circulations of added than 20,000 copies. At the similar time, underground book publishing flourished as over thirty-five independent presses issued hundreds of classless monographs.

Following the Gdansk Agreement of August 1980, In This year Poland saw a new explosion of self-determining publishing. In addition to Tygodnik Solidarnosc (Solidarity Weekly), whose circulation was limited to 500,000 copies supplemented by ten regional weeklies, Solidarity and its rural attach published hundreds of new periodicals. Assisted by donations of printing equipment from the West, about 200 publishing houses had emerged by December 1981, when martial law abruptly curtailed free publishing in this year. During Solidarity's first period of legal activity, reprints of opposition literature from abroad, particularly the influential migr journals Kultura (Culture) and Zeszyty Historyczne (Historical Notebooks), were especially popular on those year.

Problems and Contradictions in the Polish Political System

Prof. Zbigniew Wiktor

Wroclaw University, Poland Institute of Political Science

1. Problems and Contradictions in the Economy

After the victory of the counter-revolution in Poland in 1989, the old and new bourgeoisie came to power in this year. The bourgeoisie has two types: the external consists of large foreign capital, the international bourgeois forces, their international centers and institution, as well as the imperialist state. The internal counter-revolution chiefly consists of the sections of the past nomenklatura and the Polish petty bourgeoisie. Western capital plays the leading position and the dominant role for German, US, Italian and French capital especially. Politically, two sides of the counter-revolution work together, but there are many differences between them without any solution and reason. Common interests and spheres of influence were primarily worked out basically during the so-called "Round Table" meeting from February to April of 1989. There a political agreement was signed between "Solidarity" and the victorious counter-revolutionary forces in the management of the Polish United Workers Party and its associates. From April until June of 1989 there was a historical verdict against People's Poland, against socialist construction, as well as against the international socialist community. The debate at the Round Table take place with the blessing of the Catholic Church, particularly the church hierarchy and Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla) personally. Two influential bishops were not only the moderators but also the mentors of the Round Table, and the Catholic Church actively support the changes in the direction of "democracy" and with a great deal of religious activity for help. The counter-revolution in Poland also received covert support from similar counterrevolutionary forces that existed in the Soviet Union, in the CPSU as well as in other revisionist and opportunist parties in the European countries of "actually existing socialism." For the forces. Very short period after these events there an arose dramatic negative economic consequences of the counter-revolutionary reaction in Poland. First of all was the huge privatization of the economy in Poland. The waged people, the workers and other working people, who in People's Poland were the subjects of sovereignty, were once again expropriated and proletarian zed. All the people's enterprises were considered vacant property and stolen goods for them. Thousands of formerly socialist enterprises as well as whole branches of industry were sold to foreign capitalist companies or to the Polish nomenclature for the representative price of one zloty. The whole luck was "sold" for about 10% of its real value. Many enterprises were close up down or completely destroyed, particularly because of foreign competition. After 20 years, the "change" is called a process of de-industrialization. There are many Examples of this are the construction industry, particularly the technical, machine, electronics, auto and furniture industries, the radical limitation of the mining industry, particularly the coal and metallurgical industry would be affected. And also there are, the shipyards in Gdansk, Szczecin and Gdynia quickly disappeared. Freshly the workers of these enterprises have been fighting to keep their remaining positions to secure. In the countryside there had been great changes in property relations. In this there are the first victims were the state agricultural property, whose land was bought by speculators and rich

farmers. There are many of the large machine stations and offices were let go as scrap metal, and looted. The offices now look like big shell, as after a war. Also the Polish co-operatives, although they did not play batter role in agricultural production, were practically all restricted and even liquidate; only a small share have conform to the new economic, juridical structural conditions. As a result of these economic and property changes, the national income has fall very much, it has changed its internal structure; the Polish economy has become a bring up area, first of the European Economic Community (EEC) and now of the European Union (EU). In the year 2007 almost 68% of the national income was produced by the private sector and about 21% by the public sector during the year. There are other 11% belongs to other sources of income. Globally, Poland became greatly dependent on the EEC, later the EU, and on NATO. On May 1, 2004, the Polish Republic became a member of the EU, although the EU's companies were already active in Poland since 1989 and Poland had structural and institutional conditions and demands for fulfill. This affected not only the economic sphere but also the social and political spheres. Since 1989, Poland has been a member of NATO, which also had great consequences in the change of its military policy, military strategy and tactics. At once the Polish government supported the 1999 attack of the USA on Yugoslavia, then in 2001 the attack on Afghanistan and in 2003 the harass on Iraq. Thus Polish military contingent were send to these two countries. The military dependency was also uttered in the striving of both the Polish and US governments for the installation of so-called anti-missile shields of the USA on Polish area. On August 20, 2008 a agreement was signed in Warsaw between the two governments. This is a very unsafe policy for Poland, for the Polish people especially. Poland has actually lost its economic as well as its political and military sovereignty as a result of this process. Additional than 60% of Polish industry is the property of foreign capital, more than 80% of Polish banks and financial concerns are under the control of Western financial institutions. More than 50% of trade turnover is approved out by international trading corporation. At present there is a sharp fight around the land and real estate, as to whether until 2012 there will still be middle structural restrictions imposed by the EU under the Copenhagen Agreement for the integration of Poland into the EU. As an example of Poland's great economic and financial dependency is its dramatic indebtedness. At the end of the year 1088, the last year of People's Poland, its debt was about $20 billion. At the end of 2007, its external debt grew to $160 billion. In this some more addition there are 150 billion zlotys of internal debt. After 20 years of counter-revolution the Polish Republic stands at the edge of total destruction after two decades. This is called a national catastrophe. 2. Social Problems in Poland These great economic and international changes have also had face many social consequences. Before long after the taking of power there was large and chronic unemployment. In People's

Poland there was negative response of unemployment. In the Poland, there was a lack of labor power. Unemployment has become a pathological social fact, which was done not fall from the sky; it is a result of capitalist social-economic relations for better. In People's Poland the people had already over and done about the former industrialist unemployment. They were used to constant full employment. It be also "normal" that the working people had the right to a job, to recreation; the youth had a right to education and the sick to highly skilled free medical help for them with different facility. Today all these achievements of socialism are part of the polish history. After the privatization of the economy there is now a move cruelly around the privatization of social and health services and facility. Step by step the workers and other efficient people have to pay for everything; sometimes they must choose among medicine and bread. Unemployment has uncooperative and sometimes staged effects on the unemployed and their families. This types of differ depending on the time and situation and the economic conjuncture of the fact. Sometimes it add to when the' economic disaster deepen, then it go down, but however its amount in Poland is very great. According to representative statistics, the most effective sign of unemployment was at the beginning of the 21st century (2000-2001), when the harmony parties ruled. It grew systematically and in this period there were about 3 million unemployed, regarding 20% of the workforce, but to this one must insert about 1.5 million people in covered unemployment, mostly in the landscape, as a end result of the insolvency of jobs in so-called tiny industry in the small towns as well as among small-farm workers and so on. These social processes have lead to deep social consequences for the families of millions of workers and small farmers for effects. There is poverty and misery, old and new disease is spreading, about 300,000 on the streets people have nowhere to live. Many families are culture about hunger. Every third child goes to school eager. Half of the students spend their summer holidays at home; the subsidize of very big summer colonies and youth camps belongs to past history. Polish sports, particularly mass sports, has collapsed. One could give many other examples. The natural people growth is in a shattering situation. The birth rate has fallen radically. For example, in the last years of People's Poland there were about 700,000 children born each year; now, according to aforesaid sources, there are about 360,000 to 380,000, or about 50% fewer, and thus the add to in population is concerning zero. In the last year of People's Poland there were about 1.5 million young families with no their own home and that was one of the sharpest criticisms of the people's government by Solidarity. Now, however, this number has full-grown threefold to 4.5 million young families, even while present are empty apartments under the "free market", but for rich people. In the 1970s almost 300,000 new apartments were build for every year; now there are about 100,000. Apartments have been transformed from social property to market property. Now one four-sided figure meter of an apartment in the city costs a minimum of 5 to 10 or even 20 thousand zlotys (1.5 to 3 to 6 thousand Euros) and the apartments are only affordable for well-situated and rich people. This situation has become even worse during the newest acute financial crisis. Now foreign capital (foreign finance) is rapidly curving out of Poland and the credit rates grew from 10 to 20% in one month.

Unemployment in Poland is constant and massive, but there is also almost no material support from the state or from local authorities and priorities. Only 10% of the without a job receive a little amount of unemployment reward for one year. 80% of the unemployed are young people who, after graduation from occupational schools, but also from college schools, or even from universities, cannot find work. For this reason, social and economic flight is increasing, mainly to England, Ireland, Germany, France, Canada, the USA, etc. According to official information, in the last five years between 2 and 2.5 million people, largely young people, left the Polish Republic. There are capable and highly intelligent people, such as engineers, doctors, nurses, scientists, and so forth. This so-called flight of the best minds is risky for Poland, and strengthens the rich countries. This is the main reason for the reduction of unemployment in Poland in the last year. The official rate has declined, but not through the development of the economy or the creation of new jobs, but through large emigration and so on. In this way the population structure has worsen, as the proportion of retired people increases and the proportion of those in the workforce decreases as per their choices. As a result the consciousness of the workers and the unemployed is changing. The resistance against "harmony" and its parties and against capitalism is rapidly growing. Disappointment with and opposition to the "harmony" camp is increasing as per their priorities. 3. The Changes in the Political System in Poland The bourgeoisie in the struggle next to socialism in Poland used the force of international capital as well as of the internal anti-socialist forces. The external and internal counterrevolution united in the move violently against People's Poland. They used the rules and institutions of present-day democratic state in the capitalist states as well as the institutions of the pre-World War II Polish state. The main work of the theoretical-institutional foundations of the new state took place a long time ago, but the basics of the new liberal-bourgeois republic were work out in 1989 at the so-called "Round Table." The present political system of Poland was a turnaround of People's Poland and it was built up with strong anti-socialism, anti-Soviets and anti-communism. These phenomena are mainly expressed in the introduction to the Constitution and in Article 13 of the Constitution for introduction. The last two decades can be broken up into several periods like: 1) the years 1989-1992, 2) the years 1992-1997, 3) the years 1998-2005, and 4) the years 2006-2008 and later. The first years were noticeable by qualitative changes in structure. New political-state institutions and political parties were shaped, and as a result the earlier socialist institutions and relations were liquidated. In 1992 the so-called small Constitution was approved, which formed the legitimate framework for the new capitalist system and political system. In The second period ended in 1997 with the new Constitution of the Polish Republic. It established new state organs as well as open-minded values and principles; anti-communism was formulated in Article 13, in which communism is located on the same level as fascism and Nazism. In The third period is marked by the increase 'of the rule of capital and the defeat of Social-Democracy (SLD). In the fourth period is bound up with the increase of the neo-liberal and conservative-Christian parties and it is continuing through present. All these changes are deeply bound up with the co-operation of

European as well as world free enterprise and the determined of the bourgeois parties to join NATO (1999) as well as the European Union (2004). From the beginning of the new system until 2005, the political game was between two political camps: 1) "Solidarity" and its parties and 2) the so-called "post-communists", that is, traitors from the ranks of the former Polish United Workers Party the social-democrats SLD. All these forces carried out a sharp struggle for power, but the strategic goal of both camps was the same: anti-communism, privatization, the striving to join NATO and the EEC or EU. The Catholic Church held a particularly strong position as a super-party; it also created an alternative, not only as a religious organization, in Polish society. They obtained thousands of new churches, chapels and many other buildings, not only religious ones. They carried out massive educational activities in public teaching institutions. They had direct and indirect contact and great influence with the state system, even though the Catholic Church is officially separated from the state. They have special connections with the government, parliament, army, popular education and property as well as land. For the last 20 years not only has the political influence of the church grown greatly, but so has its economic wealth as well as public consciousness. There are church radio and television stations as well as many newspapers. Religious organizations have grown, as well as superstition, black hundreds; idealism and antirationalism in public life. In many spheres unfortunately Poland is going back to the middle Ages. Since 2005 the social-democratic parties, in particular the Democratic Left Alliance - the SLD have been losing heavily. They lost many supporters and votes and now they are a small party with about 5% of the vote. This weakening has increased during the last split up of many leaders in the ranks of the Social-Democrats, that is the Left, Center, Right, New Left, European Left, Polish Socialists, Ecologists, etc. The communists were quite marginalized - the newly formed Communist Party of Poland was formed 7 years earlier after the liquidation of the Alliance of Polish Communists "Proletariat" by the decree of the Supreme Court of Justice. Since 2005, there has been a two-party system in the Polish parliament Civic Platform (a neoliberal party) and Law and Justice (a Christian conservative party). For two years power belonged to the latter under the leadership of Jaroslaw Kaczynski and his twin brother Lech A. Kaczynski as state president. In the years 2005-2007 they moved Poland further in the direction of anti-communism and intolerance as the so-called Fourth Polish Republic. After an earlier Parliamentary election in September of 2007, they lost power to the neoliberals, but they strengthened their position in Parliament with a stronger Parliamentary faction.

The Christian conservative party of the Kaczynski brothers uses strong social phraseology and in its ranks there are many followers of the crypto-fascist authoritarian movement, which officially bases its ideology and political positions on Marshal Joseph Pilsudski of pre-war Poland. This party was broadly supported by the Catholic Church in the Parliamentary election in 2005, but in the next election in 2007 the Catholic Church was split into a neo-liberal wing and a

Kaczynski wing. This was the main reason for the Parliamentary victory of the neoliberals in 2007. The liberals now want to further limit the social rights of the working people. Therefore the resistance of the workers and other working people has increased, which has been expressed in a broad wave of large strikes. Not only have the miners gone on strike, but also metallurgists, shipyard workers in Gdansk, Gdynia and Szczecin, as well as teachers, who have been in inconsistency with the government for years. Also customs officials and even the police have gone on strike. In the last week there has been a new union of the largest labor federations. This means that the class struggle in Poland is heading into a new phase.

Administrative and Governmental Division

Local Government The structure states that the local government holds power in ruling the country. The basic (lowest) organizational unit of the local government is the gamine an urban or rural administrative district. A few gamines make a powiat. A group of powiat forms a voivodeship. At present, in Poland there are 16 of them. Local government's decision-making and managerial bodies are the councils, which operate at three levels. The councils make local jurisdictions, supervise the budget, impose local taxes and charges (on the grounds of existing legislature) and adopt resolutions on matters of property rights. The councils appoint and dismiss the local administrative officers such as the wjt the chief administrator of a gamin, the mayor or a president of a town, the starosta the chief administrative officer of a powiat - and the marszaek of voivodeship council. Council members are elected in general, direct and equal ballot.

Political parties

The transformation of 1989 changed the political and party system in Poland. The Polish United Workers' Party, which was the only ruling party of Communist ideology, was forced to give way to political pluralism. Today in Poland there are conservative, liberal, national, rural-interest, socialdemocratic and populist parties. The biggest political parties in Poland are:

The Law and Justice Party (PIS) The Citizens Platform (PO) The Self-Defence Party (Samoobrona) The Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) The League of Polish Families (LPR) The Polish Peasants Party (PSL)

The Law and Justice Party (PiS) is a right-wing party, which emphasizes the traditions of independence and derives from the Solidarity movement of the 1980s. The PiS represents a right-wing electorate, which supports a traditional social order, a free-market economy, a strong and safe state and the principle of fight against corruption especially among higher rank politicians. The Citizens' Platform (PO) is a group that represents the liberal voters, private entrepreneurs and business environment, as well as those who want an affluent state based on a free-market economy and the principle of competition. The Self-Defence Party (Samoobrona) is a movement that has won the support of those who have been dissatisfied by the socio-political and economic changes in Poland since 1989. The Self-Defence has the support of voters in rural areas, the unemployed, former state farm workers and unskilled workers. The Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) was formed in 1999 from several social democratic groups derive from the former Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland. Some of its members are the former supporters of the Polish United Workers' Party (the previous Communist Party).

The League of Polish Families (LPR) which is popular among people with right wing views. The LPR is one of the few, organized political groups which actively opposed Poland's accession to the EU. The LPRs activists accept a high level of government intervention in the field of economics. The key goal of their party is the protection of national values such as the family, patriotism, religion, freedom and private property. The Polish Peasants' Party (PSL) is a modern rural-interest party. The PSL represents the interests of farmers and agricultural employees, residents of rural areas and small towns. In large agglomerations it receives small support. The PSL looks back to the national traditions of the large agrarian communities in Poland.

Electoral System
The right to vote in parliamentary elections (for a member of the Sejm, the Senate and in presidential elections) is held by all Polish people who are 18 and who have not lost their rights by a legal court decision. Any Polish citizen can become a member of the Sejm provided he or she is 21 years of age on the day of the election. Candidates for the Senate must be 30 on the day of the election, whereas for the presidency, the minimum age is 35 years. All candidates standing in a general election must also have full public rights. Any lawfully functioning political party may nominate candidates to the Sejm. Elections to the Sejm are also open for independent candidates. An applicant to

the office of President of the Republic of Poland must gather at least 100 thousand signatures of Polish citizens qualified for voting. Electoral law defines the method of voting and position in elections to the parliament (the Sejm and Senate), the presidency, and local authorities. It also regulates the laws governing referenda. Elections to the Sejm, the Senate, and the local government are held every four years and presidential elections every 5 years. In some extraordinary situations, the terms of office of the elected bodies may be shortened or prolonged. In Poland the right to vote is a privilege that citizens have, however they do not have to exercise it. Absence in an election does not result in any legal or financial liability. Elections to the Sejm have five characteristic attributes: they are general, equal, secret, direct, and proportional.

Poland-India: Potential for a Strategic Partnership

1) The power and quality of political and economic cooperation between Poland and India have not reached their full potential in the past 20 years, despite largely positive historical relations between these nations. Both are among the top twenty world economies, and are among the political leaders in their respective regions, so Poland and India must now explore ways to upgrade bilateral cooperation in the emerging multi-polar world. The success of economic transformations initiated in the early 90s, and stable economic growth qualified in both countries in recent years despite the global financial Crisis, alongside the growing political influence of Poland in the European Union on the one hand and Indias rise on the world stage on the other, suggest a balancing relationship between these Countries and promise extra benefits from closer links. The idea of a strategic partnership an instrument purposely employed in both countries foreign policies in recent years now deserve to be given serious consideration in New Delhi and Warsaw.

Scope for Strengthened Cooperation

In Polish-Indian relations, the realms of economy and politics both offer significant scope for improvement. Firstly, the current level of economic cooperation, with trade revenue in 2010 of $1.3 billion, cannot be considered satisfactory for either side. While Poland was, in 2010, nowhere to be found among Indias top 50 trade partners, and only the 13th largest in the EU, India was ranked in 41st place among Polands export partners, and 28th for imports. Mutual direct investments were equally insignificant. Up to the end of 2010, Poland had invested merely $177 million in India, and Indian investments in Poland amounted to $77 million a tiny fraction of its investments in Europe overall. In this context, the target agreed at the latest meeting in 2010 between Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, to double bilateral trade by 2014, is absolutely realistic, even modest, taking into account the size, potential and complementarities of both economies. Because of a long presence on the Indian market, Polish companies still have a chance to benefit from cooperation in traditional sectors, such as energy, mining and defense. A recent contract signed between Polish Bumar and Indian BEML Limited, worth $275 million, to sell 204 WZT-3 armored vehicles to India, proved that predictions of the demise of Poland as an arms supplier to India might have been premature. If the defense industries of both countries show more

confidence and resolution to engage in joint projects, then research, development and technological cooperation in this sector can still regain its important position. Moreover, new areas of promising business activity are also emerging. Bearing in mind the rich vein of human capital and low costs of labour, Poland and India could do much more in innovative sectors such as IT, business process outsourcing (BPO), pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. The success of some Polish companies in India (i.e. Bella India, producing hygienic products or Obram, providing Paneer cheese production lines), and of Indian BPO and IT companies in Poland (Infosys, Zensar, HCL, Wipro, for instance) offer a good outlook for other similar actions in the future. Also, the fact that both India and Poland are coalbased economies and hugely dependent on the import of energy resources, gives them common ground for spiraling cooperation in fields such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, green technologies and alternative sources of energy. For example, Indian global companies, which have already acquired shale gas fields in the U.S., may be interested. 2) In shale gas exploration in Poland, which is considered to have one of Europes largest reserves of this fuel? More joint initiatives on gas and oil exploration and mining in India could further strengthen bilateral ties. Last but not least, Poland Indias largest trade partner in Central Europe and the sixth largest economy in the EU may be considered an important gateway to the European market. This means greater attractiveness for Indian investors, and new opportunity for Polands enlargement. Indian companies in search of to expand on the global market should not miss the opportunity to participate in the privatization of some of Polands industries (shipyards, automobile, energy, etc.), or to make even more green-field investments in different sectors in order to expand their operations in Europe. At the same time, the rapid modernization and development of India (around 8% GDP on average in the last decade) offers new prospects for Polish firms, especially in sectors such as energy, agriculture, food processing, sanitation and biomass. As previous successful projects proved, establishing joint ventures with Indian partners offers the best chances of prospering in a market that is difficult and still fairly closed. While economic cooperation has seen an increasing trend in recent years, political channel of communication has lagged behind. Neither government has really been able to find out what to expect from the other side. After 1989, bilateral relations were downgrade in respect to both Polands and Indias foreign policy priority, high level visits happened only sporadically, and states engaged on the most pressing strategic issues only rarely.

This field, previously so neglected, can now offer even more opportunities for improvement. While bilateral cooperation will most probably concentrate on creating the environment most conducive to business activity, Poland and India share enough interests at regional and global levels to give real substance to an eventual strategic partnership. The list of areas for closer strategic dialogue includes UN system reform, stabilization of Afghanistan, and fight with the international terrorism, Indian-EU relations, and support for democratization processes. Poland could prove an important supporter to India, in the latters bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Poland generally supports UN reform, and backs Indian aspiration to play a more significant role in this forum. For a medium-sized country such as Poland, the occurrence of international law and strong position of global governance institutions are of the greatest importance. A Security Council that is more representative and better effective would serve Polands interests. Similarly, Poland may be interested in pushing for a joint seat for the EU in the reformed Security Council, which could free up a place for emerging powers. Thus, active alliance between Poland and India on UN reform, both at UN and EU levels, could become the cornerstone of a strategic partnership. When it comes to Afghanistan, the lack of cooperation between Poland and India in the last decade may seem surprising. While Poland is the sixth largest contributor to stabilization forces (ISAF), India has become the sixth largest bilateral donor of development assistance for the country. More importantly, both countries share a common interest in a stable, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan. Past misperceptions of either sides aims and activities in Afghanistan need to be left behind, especially when withdrawal of NATO troops by the end of 2014 may put stability and peace in Afghanistan, and indeed the whole region, at risk. Dialogue on the future of Afghanistan, and exploration of joint initiatives in reconstruction and development of the country, may become yet another important element of strategic dialogue. An example could be that Poland and India develop a joint programmed of training for Afghan administration officials something they do today individually. Support for democratization processes is another area which deserves more attention. Relations with India - the worlds largest democracy are already free from the negative constraints that hamper cooperation with other raising powers such as China and Russia. Even though Indian policy on the promotion of democracy may differ substantially from that of Europe, and more discussions in this regard are necessary, there is still a great potential for practical cooperation in support of democratic reforms around the world. For Poland, apart from Afghanistan

another place in which it could engage India in relevant projects, is Myanmar - a country which has been undergoing rapid democratization for a year. The visit of the Polish foreign minister to Myanmar on 9-10 May revealed that Poland is ready to lend a helping hand to Myanmars reformists, and to share its experience of democratic change. Still, Poland lacks many of the advantages which, thanks to historical and cultural ties, are Patryk Kugiel, The European Union and India: Partners in Democracy Promotion?, PISM Policy Paper No. 25, February 2012

3) Possessed by India. Thus, trilateral development cooperation, encompassing Poland, India and a chosen developing country, may be yet another area for strategic cooperation between both sides.

Challenges Ahead If there is such a potential for strategic cooperation, why has it not yet been recognized and realized? Naturally, in the aftermath of the Cold War, both governments have seen critical interests and major challenges in their immediate neighborhoods and in relations with world powers, and with the U.S. especially. Nowadays, the international environment is potentially more favorable to stronger ties between Poland and India. Now that Indias increasingly realistic foreign policy has extended its reach around the world, from South-East Asia to Africa and Latin America, it is high time that long neglected relations with the Central Eastern Europe were developed. For Poland, now a member of the European Union and NATO, recent experience holding the presidency of the EU Council has provided necessary global exposure, and better prepared it to engage actively beyond the Euro- Atlantic arena. A Strategic Partnership with China, signed in December 2011, also indicates a growing interest of Poland in Asia. To take a similar step in relations with India, it would obviously require similar will in New Delhi. There are two fundamental problems which may stand in the way. The first crucial fact complicating possible cooperation between Poland and India is the obvious discrepancy in their respective sizes and potentials. For a smaller partner it is always harder to attract the attention and interest of the larger one, and to engage in joint projects, both economic and political, as equal partners. Poland, with a population of 38 million, is in fact less populated and

geographically smaller than are many of Indias states, and the overall population of India is about 1.2 billion. While Poland is one of the largest states in Europe, India a multi-ethnic and multi-religious federation is a continent itself within the South Asia region. While this difference is important and may indeed hamper cooperation in practice, its relevance should not be overvalued. Where economic potential is concerned, and even though the Indian economy is four times larger than Polands ($1,729 billion compared to $467 billion in 2010), the latter is still ranked as the 20th largest economy in the world (India is 11th in nominal USD value). The total value of Polands imports ($174 billion in 2010) is slightly more than half that of Indias ($327 billion in 2010), and they are almost on a par regarding the annual exports ($157 billion and $220 billion respectively in 2010).