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.
We are advancing in the rankings but that doesn’t mean much
Marek PielachPoland was ranked 50th in terms of economic freedom, up by 7 places, in a poll carried out by the Heritage Foundation and Wall Street Journal (WSJ). According to experts, until the country makes a spectacular leap forward...
Philanthropists give what the state demands
Aleksander PińskiThe popularity of the Polish Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity is encouraging a return to the arguments of Nobel Prize winner Milton Friedman. He claimed that state support for underprivileged people is unnecessary, since...
The treacherous charm of a state that likes to prove itself in business
Jan CipiurRarely do new ideas appear among concepts of how to return to speedy growth following economic crisis. Ideas that have already been tested garner the most references. A renewed hope is found in the notion that if the economy...
Poland doesn’t need special economic zones anymore
Sebastian StodolakIn 2013, 50 foreign investors announced that they would be investing approximately 825 million euro in the Polish market. This is less than in 2012. Professor Saul Estrin from the London School of Economics maintains that...
Even Romania, Bulgaria and Russia have a more developed PPP system
Jacek KrzemińskiPublic-private partnership investment projects are still few and far between in Poland, and most tenders called for projects to be launched under this formula end up in a fiasco. Without incentive from the government and...
Moldova’s Association with the EU may help to solve the conflict in Transnistria
Michał KozakMoldova with its 3.6 million inhabitants is today one of Europe’s poorest countries and it will benefit a lot from the association agreement with the EU despite its peripheral location.
A single law can free the economy. Not for long, though
Sebastian StodolakIt will be 25 years on 23 December since the Act on Economic Activity, popularly called Wilczek’s bill, was passed. It introduced into the stubborn reality the rule that what is not prohibited is permitted. State...
Despite changes to open pension funds, savings must continue
Marek PielachThe reform of the pension system will only decrease the cost of debt servicing and the cost of refunding contributions – a total of PLN 9 billion. The government will not spend any more, as it pursues fiscal consolidation...
Orbán wins in the economy and politics
Zsolt ZsebesiThe results of spring elections seem to be sealed. The Hungarians may be getting ready for the next four years of the rule by Viktor Orbán and his System of National Cooperation. The Prime Minister’s support is growing,...
Emissions can be reduced without ruining the economy
Jacek KrzemińskiIn 2012, the EU decreased its total carbon dioxide emissions by 2.3 per cent. Even though Poland has been given bad press in this matter, it managed to decrease them by 3 per cent. In the U.S., emissions were reduced by 4...