Polish transition under spotlight on 25th year

Poland has managed to transform itself and to generate propserity for its people, said the participants of a conference that was held to mark 25th anniversary of first post-war elections.

Success and challenges behind Poland’s tranformation process have been put in the limelight as part of events to mark 25 years that passed since the country held first elections to transit to democracy Selim Akan selim.akan@hdn.com.tr Poland will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the historic first free post-war elections on June 4, which marked the beginning of the end of communism in Europe. For that purpose, the country is hosting a series of organizations that will be attended by politicians, business leaders and think tanks from around the world.

Over the 25 years, the ex-Soviet country has become the largest economy in Central Europe, the sixth largest in the EU and, depending on the measurement, the 19th to 21st largest in the world.

Last week, Poland Today, an English-language magazine, organized the “Poland Transformed” conference to discuss the story of the country’s transformation process.

U.S. President Barack Obama also plans to speak in Warsaw to mark the anniversary. The president will hold up Poland as an example for Ukraine, Obama’s foreign policy adviser Ben Rhodes said recently. This year is also significant for Turkey, as both countries celebrate the 600th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

The conference on May 28 hosted former Prime Minister Jan Krzysztof Bielecki, senior editor at The Economist Edward Lucas, Stratfor Founder and Chairman George Friedman, CEO of the Warsaw Stock Exchange Adam Maciejewski, CEO of General Electric in Europe Beata Stelmach, member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Council, Witold Orłowski.

Participants discussed the drivers behind Poland’s success, business’s role in the...

Continue reading on: