Andrew Moran: Poland — The Very Model of a Modern Major Economy

From communist hellscape to free market symbol.

Borscht. Knife in the Water. Frédéric Chopin. Among the world’s 20 largest economies? Poland is famous for many contributions to humanity, but being a major economy may not be on everyone’s Bingo card. However, the Polish economic environment has evolved substantially since the post-communist ruins of decades ago, transitioning from Marx to markets. What happened?

Harry Phibbs: The European Tiger Roars

How Poland forged its economic freedom.

Poland was pivotal to the fall of Communism in Europe. The Solidarity protests in the 1980s gave hope that political change was possible, even among those who feared that totalitarian states might prove permanent with their grim monolithic structures. Poland’s subsequent success as a free nation serves as an exemplar to others. What a contrast with Russia, which has also overthrown Communism and remains beset by poverty, tyranny, and an aggressive foreign policy.

Dr Oliver Hartwich: How Nato failed Putin’s drone test

On Wednesday morning last week, I was getting ready for my afternoon speech at the Financial Services Council conference in Auckland.

Between sessions, I scrolled through X on my phone. What I saw shocked me. Russian drones had violated Polish airspace. NATO fighters were scrambling in darkness. For the first time since the Ukraine war began, a NATO member was firing on Russian military assets.

Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 3/4/24

NZ Govt welcomes the lifting of an injunction (to protect the Maui dolphin) which banned some fish imports into the USA

The lifting of a temporary ban on some New Zealand fish exports to the United States was hailed by two New Zealand ministers as a win for commonsense.

Sea Shepherd spokesperson Michael Lawry, on the other hand, told RNZ “politics and power” had won over science.

Point of Order: What will the new New Europe look like?

When so many changes happen at once, it’s hard to pick out the significant ones, let alone untangle the causation.

But Poland’s goal of becoming the strongest military power in Europe might be up there. The government plans to double the army in size and is pushing defence spending up to 4% of a rapidly-growing GDP. This also predates Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.