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.
Moldovans in Romania – the ties that bind
Marta SobolewskaThe “spectre” of mass Romanian migration to western Europe has haunted British tabloids in particular in recent years, often in direct contradiction to the facts – recent reports say there has been no surge of...
The Polish economy needs immigrant workers. Who should we invite?
Marcin JendrzejczakLow population growth and economic emigration may lead to a sharp crisis in Poland's pension system and public finances. This can be prevented by a conscious family policy and economic immigration to Poland, especially from...
The Poles are leaders in emigration; someone has to replace them here
Jan CipiurPoland is one of the leading OECD countries, but not in spending on research and development or pre capita income – instead, Poland is a leader in supplying foreign countries with emigrants with higher vocational and...
Counterfactual: A world without Swiss franc loans
It is 2006. The Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) is working on Recommendation S regarding foreign currency mortgages. It is encouraged by large banks which do not want to take part in the risky race for profits...
Banking union’s success depends on further integration
Milena KabzaThe Eurozone’s sovereign-debt crisis both reflected and reinforced the banking crisis. Instituting a common regulatory framework in a form of a Eurozone-wide banking union is aimed to sever the link between public debt and...
Pressed by War and Economic Collapse, Ukraine Again Tries to Reform
Annabelle ChapmanReform is on the agenda in Kiev. After over twenty years deformed by corruption and incomplete reforms, the demand for “European standards” – an umbrella term for values such as greater transparency and rule-of-law –...
The Baltic States, A Model of Austerity or a One-Off?
Annabelle ChapmanEstonia, Latvia and Lithuania experienced the global financial crisis in a dramatic fashion, enduring the world’s worst recessions, followed by drastic austerity measures and then a return to growth – prompting some to...
Polish Coal: Lagging Reforms Hobble Sector
Adam EastonPoland’s state-owned hard coal mining industry is on the brink of bankruptcy thanks to falling prices and demand, rising costs and a reluctance to close unprofitable pits – all this after billions of dollars were spent...
Conservative and Stable: Poland’s Buttoned-up Banks
Andrew KurethTwenty-five years after Poland’s political and economic transformation, the country’s banking sector has proven one of its biggest success stories. Poland’s banks have weathered several global downturns – including...
A Transition Looks at 25 – Taking Stock of Transformation in Central and Eastern Europe
SzymonAs 2014 draws to a close, so too do the celebrations of the annus mirabilis of 1989 and the quarter-century of transition that followed in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). While the retrospectives across the region and in...