Political system

The governing principles of the Polish State are laid down in the Constitution of 2 April 1997. It guarantees all citizens the respect and protection of political rights and civil liberties by public authorities. Poland is a precursor of European constitutionalism. In 1791 the Sejm of the Republic of the Two Nations (Poland and Lithuania Commonwealth) adopted the organic law, later on called “the May 3rd Constitution”, which was the first one in the Old Continent and the second one, next to the US Constitution, in the world.

The Republic of Poland has a parliamentary system of government. In accordance with the Constitution, power is divided between the legislature (Parliament), the executive (President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers) and the judiciary (independent judicature: common courts of law, administrative courts). The Council of Ministers is represented in the territory of the Republic of Poland by voivods (wojewoda) who are the heads of government administration within 16 voivodships.

The Parliament in Poland is composed of two legislative bodies, the Sejm, the lower house (460 deputies), and the Senate, the upper house (100 senators), which are elected by universal suffrage for a four-year term.

Economy

After 1989 Poland began to transform its inefficient and indebted, centrally steered economy into a free market economy. Changes were initiated by a plan of systemic reforms aiming to achieve two strategic objectives: to combat hyperinflation and to build a market-based economic system. Privatisation and the development of capital market were the main pillars of structural changes. In April 1991, after a break of 50 years, Warsaw reopened its Stock Exchange. All those changes resulted in the emergence of new sectors (business and management consultancy, insurance, investment funds) and services (advertising, accounting, book-keeping and auditing, broking, and private notary services) on the market. With private enterprise allowed to operate freely and citizens investing their own resources, the sector of small and medium-sized enterprises was growing rapidly.

Poland’s economic growth accelerated sharply following its accession to the European Union (1 May 2004). Poland’s attractiveness to foreign investors stems from a number of factors, including its competitive labour costs, well educated and hard working labour force, geographical position, flexible and large market, diversified industry, and opportunities for the development of new business entities.

At present, long-term objectives include the accession of Poland to the Euro-zone and further economic growth. The basis for the modernisation of Polish economy is provided by national strategic programmes 2007-2013; chances of success in the process are boosted by 60 billion euro which have been allocated to Poland for this period under the EU Structural Funds.