English
Obserwator Finansowy features views and analysis of economy in Poland and other countries, written by some of the best journalists, economists and analysts. Our mission is to share knowledge of economics and financial markets in the world.
Obserwator Finansowy is a project under aegis of the Poland’s central bank, Narodowy Bank Polski. We have published thousands of articles about the Polish and global economy. Our journalists have conducted hundreds of interviews with Nobel laureates, distinguished economists, business leaders and politicians with views across the political spectrum.
In this section you can find selected articles in English.
The global banking sector in the pandemic
Witold GadomskiThe global financial crisis originated in the banking system, first in the US, and then in Europe. The 2009 recession was the consequence of the banks’ freeze on lending and the resulting uncertainty. Today, the situation...
BaaS — banking without a license
Mirosław CiesielskiBanking-as-a-service (BaaS) is a process in which banks provide access to the back-office to third parties. This enables the latter to offer financial services without the need of obtaining banking licenses and possessing...
The pandemic did not affect the profits of the Ukrainian banks
Michał KozakIn spite of the pandemic, the commercial banks operating in Ukraine have achieved sound profits. However, according to the Ukrainian central bank NBU, this may soon change because the conditions for the functioning of the...
Europe points finger at “high-risk countries”
Filip BrokešThe European Commission composed a list of high-risk third countries which have “strategic deficiencies in their AML regimes”. Entities connected to these countries will have to go through an increased scrutiny before...
Polish banks are well prepared for the consequences of the pandemic
Piotr Rosik“The current crisis is a crisis of the real economy, which may turn into a banking crisis, but doesn’t have to. Fortunately, the Polish banks are well prepared, with high capital buffers, which will help to absorb the...
In Europe ultimate beneficial owners are still mainly hidden
Filip BrokešFollowing a series of money-laundering scandals the European Commission is stepping up in the fight against financial crime. Warning of gaps and weaknesses in national AML systems, it calls for a unified, European approach...
The gold rush
Vedran ObućinaIn the last weeks, prices of gold rose to near-eight-year highs, fueled by new cases of COVID-19 that are dampening hopes for a speedy economic recovery. In the physical market, the price of an ounce of gold increased to the...
Quantitative Easing — not as bad as it’s made out to be
Piotr KaliszThe program of asset purchases by Poland’s central bank is generating some controversy. However, many of these concerns seem to be unwarranted, especially in light of the experience of other countries, which have used...
Technological (r)evolution in the banking sector
Adam Głogowski, Tomasz Gromek, Paweł PisanyThe expenditures on technology by banks are on the rise, although innovation is primarily gradual in nature and mostly focuses on improving the existing systems to include additional processes. The largest banks are...
The payments industry will change after the pandemic
Mirosław CiesielskiThe shutdown of most economies due to the pandemic is being reflected in changes occurring in the volume and structure of global payments and is accelerating their digitization. Financial market companies will undergo...