Policy In Poland Research Articles

Prudent Populists? the Short-Term Macroeconomic Impact of Populist Policies in Poland

Prudent Populists? the Short-Term Macroeconomic Impact of Populist Policies in Poland

Evolution or status quo – regional operational programmes in the Eu financial perspective 2014-2020

Purpose: The publication presents the evolution of the European Union policy implemented in Poland, focusing primarily on the 2014-2020 perspective, which was characterized by its decentralization. Design/methodology/approach: The method of statistical data analysis and source materials was used in the work. Findings: As a result of the conducted research, it was indicated that the 2014-2020 perspective was characterized not only by the highest allocation of financial resources, but the solutions proposed therein led to a deeper decentralization of regional policy in Poland consisting in the construction of two-fund regional programs (ERDF and ESF), prepared, managed and implemented at the regional level, bringing the thereby increasing the effectiveness of this policy. Originality/value: The literature research and statistical analysis carried out in the article served to show the evolution of the regional policy decentralization process on maximizing its effects. The research results are dedicated to a wide group of people and entities benefiting from the support of European Union funds. Keywords: cohesion policy, region, operational programs, regional development, European funds.

The Road to Prosperity. Reflections on Polish Antitrust in Turbulent Times

The “end of history”, which was once speculated, did not happen. In international politics, this resulted in much turbulence, in particular in 2022. In antitrust, in turn, there is a renewed interest in discussing its goals and assessment methods. When it comes to international politics and military reforms, Poland has taken important actions to ensure that in spite of the turbulent times, it will still take further steps on the road to prosperity, on which it had embarked in 1989. Less has been said about economic policy. Yet, it is economic policy that provides a solid base for an active international policy and the creation of a prosperous society. This article constitutes part of a “scoping exercise” aimed at facilitating a debate over antitrust policy in Poland. As a discursive text, it considers a number of more technical proposals that have been made in the last few years, and highlights some systemic issues that deserve further discussion. It concludes that even if none of those issues currently attract the attention of the general public in Poland, this does not mean that no discussion should take place.

Legal consequences of exhaustion of the amount allocated for co-financing of projects under the appeal procedure in the 2021-2027 financial perspective

Analysis and assessment of the legal effects of exhausting the amount allocated for co-financing of projects under the appeal procedure in the system of implementation of the EU cohesion policy in Poland in the 2021-2027 financial perspective. Literature review, analysis of relevant legal regulations and the jurisprudence of administrative courts. The provisions of the Act on the rules for the implementation of tasks financed from European funds in the 2021-2027 financial perspective erroneously equate the exhaustion of the amount allocated for co-financing of projects under a measure or region category with the sum of funds distributed by concluding agreements or issuing administrative decisions on project co-financing. They do not take into account the fact that due to, e.g. the availability of additional financial resources resulting from termination of co-financing agreements or an increase in the euro exchange rate, the exhaustion of the allocation may change until the end of programme’s implementation period. It is necessary to shape the appeal procedure in such a way that will provide the applicants with a real chance of obtaining co-financing, because the implementation and protection of their constitutional rights cannot depend on the exhaustion of the available allocation of financial resources.

Edukacja informatyczna w klasach I-III szkoły podstawowej w Polsce

For many years computers have an increasing influence on changes in the functioning of societies. Informatics as a field of knowledge integrates with almost all other fields and becomes their inseparable element. Developing the IT competences of children and youth is one of the priority directions of the educational policy in Poland. Early contact with informatics at school should introduce children to the possibilities of using this field and arouse interest in information technology, so that schoolers entering professional and adult life are prepared to take on the responsibilities and challenges of the 21st century. Core curriculum for classes I-III of the primary school contains detailed requirements in the field of IT education. The article presents the content of IT education, the effects that a student should achieve at the end of early childhood education and the methods of conducting IT classes.

Surveillance and Security in Immigrant Detention Centres in Poland. An Overview of Key Technologies and Practices

Guarded Centres for Foreigners are the key instrument of detention policy in Poland. They are often considered as one of the key and at the same time most secretive forms of securitization and criminalization of foreigners. With panoptical practices of (in)direct observation and robust electronic surveillance the centres are tasked with containing and producing a (self)disciplined, knowable, governable and deportable immigrant, who can be swiftly expelled from the Polish territory. Building on ethnographic research, including interviews and photographic material, this article explores specific practices and technologies of surveillance in Polish detention centres by describing and discussing how they are deployed by detention personnel. It overviews different types of direct surveillance (e.g direct observation, counting, inspection), at the same time discussing the role of monitoring technologies, which have significantly influenced the practices and spaces of detention. The article concludes that further development of electronic surveillance in the Polish guarded centres may be inevitable and lead to further “panopticonization” of detention in Poland.

Energy Efficiency Policies in Poland and Slovakia in the Context of Individual Well-Being

Improving energy efficiency includes a number of measures implemented as part of the greening of the energy industry, which in turn is a prerequisite for the creation of a sustainable energy industry to ensure energy and environmental security for the world. Despite the adoption of the EU directives on energy efficiency, there is still insufficient public awareness in this area in Poland and Slovakia. This is particularly surprising because improving energy efficiency not only brings national and global benefits, but also has a significant impact on the well-being of individuals and households. The main purpose of the paper is to analyze the national policies of Poland and Slovakia, which are based on the European Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency, and which introduce new measures aimed not only at increasing energy efficiency, but also at increasing the well-being of households and individuals. Methods of desk research and content analysis were used. The current situation in both countries is illustrated by case studies that document the administrative process (Slovakia) and the calculation of energy savings (Poland) when using renewable energy sources in the case of family houses.

Janina Bortkiewicz and Public Hygiene Education in Popular Magazines Published in Vilnius, 1930–1939

Because General Żeligowski’s troops occupied Vilnius in the autumn of 1920 and Poland annexed it two years later, the health-care system that operated in Poland at the time began to be introduced in the city and the region. The official guidelines for health policy in Poland derived from the concept of hygiene proposed by Tomasz Janiszewski, the founder of the health system in the country, which focused on social hygiene. Universities played an advisory role in the Polish health system and were involved in educating the public on hygiene issues. In interwar Vilnius, the most prominent figure in this field was Janina Bortkiewicz-Rodziewiczowa, a researcher and senior assistant in the Department of Hygiene of the Faculty of Medicine at Stephen Bathory University. This article analyses her publications aimed at promoting science. It examines the means by which Bortkiewicz-Rodziewiczowa conveyed specific medical knowledge to a lay audience. It also discusses what topics she emphasised most and what reasons led to her choices, and how this correlated with priorities in medical science and health policy at that time. Finally, it touches on an interesting practical aspect, namely what public education strategies applied at the time can still be applied today.

Od nowa? Edukacja przez całe życie w polskiej polityce publicznej

Introduction: This article concerns the public policy of lifelong learning in Poland after 2000, with particular emphasis on adult education. Research Aim: The purpose of the research is to evaluate this policy from the andragogic point of view, identified with the humanistic and social approach, which places man and his well-being at the centre of social life. Evidence-based Facts: The challenge of Polish public policy is the low participation of Poles in adult education in the light of comparative studies of the European Union and the external (i.e. on the part of employers) motivation of adults to learn. The analysis of the LLL strategic documents in Poland published after 2000 proves that there has been a broadening of the understanding of lifelong learning to the areas of non-formal and informal education, with a simultaneous tendency to standardize and quantitatively approach lifelong learning powered by the theory of rational choice. It was on this basis that the main tool for implementing the LLL policy in Poland, i.e. the Integrated Qualifications System, was constructed. The contemporary model of implementing LLL in adult education is characterized by the compensatory nature of goals, a market-based approach at the organizational level, and a mixed financing system. Summary: From an andragogic point of view, LLL public policy in Poland requires a re-evaluation of the basic assumptions, i.e. the placing of democracy over the economy, social inclusion over competition, citizenship and personal development over profit and productivity. In the discourse of lifelong learning in Poland, it is the administration of competences that prevails, and not the question of their meaning and significance, as andragogues would like. The implementation of the Integrated Qualifications System means a new beginning for the Polish LLL public policy, burdened with a high risk.

Ideology and the Rationality of Domination: Nazi Germanization Policies in Poland By Gerhard Wolf. Translated by Wayne Yung. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2020. Pp. 432. Hardback $65.00. ISBN: 978-0253048073.

Ideology and the Rationality of Domination: Nazi Germanization Policies in Poland By Gerhard Wolf. Translated by Wayne Yung. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2020. Pp. 432. Hardback $65.00. ISBN: 978-0253048073. - Volume 55 Issue 4

Colonial Fantasies, Imperial Realities: Race Science and the Making of Polishness on the Fringes of the German Empire, 1840–1920

Colonial Fantasies, Imperial Realities: Race Science and the Making of Polishness on the Fringes of the German Empire, 1840–1920

The Gendered Discourses of Illiberal Demographic Policy in Poland and in Russia

Despite being dissimilar cases, both Poland and Russia exhibit strong anti-liberal and democratic backsliding tendencies. Concomitantly, politicians are spreading a demographic moral panic, employing the argument that both nations are in danger of demise. There is scaremongering concerning below-replacement population growth rates and, in parallel, a tightening grasp on reproductive health rights and a growing fear of non-binary gender identities, people of color, and homosexuality. The political anti-gender mobilization in Poland in the 2010s and the gendered anti-Western and anti-gay conspiracy narratives in Russia are examples of this phenomenon. How are the policy responses to “demographic crises” constructed and gendered in political discourses today? What lies behind it and what is its role in illiberal politics? In this article, I discuss the current demographic discourses in Poland and in Russia. I argue that the politics of rallying against “demographic crises” surfaced on the wave of growing dominance of ultraconservative and nationalist discourses in East-Central Europe in response to perceived socio-economic pressures. I demonstrate how Polish and Russian politicians have been utilizing nativism, familialism, and “tradition” discourses for reasons of political legitimacy and expediency. Looking at political debates and concrete demographic strategies, I trace how the rhetoric of “democratic crises” is deployed to shore up illiberalism in both countries.

Net operating loss policies in Poland – a tool for tax neutrality and a firm’s antifragility

Abstract The purpose of the article is to check the impact of Net Operating Loss Policies (NOL) for firms. Net Operating Loss Policies (NOL) are a central fiscal tool because they enable firms to be taxed on their average profitability over time. A complete NOL policy has 4 dimensions: a NOL carry-forward (1), carry-back (2), unlimited in time (3) and with the time value of money (4) taken into account. No country applies a complete NOL policy. To evaluate the impact of all dimensions of NOL policies, Polish firm data from 41 sectors from the BACH database over ten years, from 2011 to 2020, are analysed. The results show that the change observed in the effective tax rate is positive with a complete NOL policy. In such case, firms pay less CIT in total, showing that the state will earn less, but should get more stability from firms which will hoard more cash. More investments or firms with more equity could be reached, strengthening the state’s stability. The variance confirms such intuition, an earlier use of a full or almost full fiscal deficit logically means a higher effective tax rate in years to come (but less in gross terms).

When Family Policy Doesn’t Work: Motives and Welfare Attitudes Among Childfree Persons in Poland

The primary goal of this article was to analyse the welfare attitudes of people self‐declaring as childless by choice alongside the exploration of their social experience as childfree persons in the context of a rapid increase in the generosity of pro‐natalist public policies in Poland. The analysis is based on semi‐structured interviews conducted with 19 respondents recruited via Facebook network groups. Thematic analysis was applied identifying six general themes: “satisfied and never had the need”; “dealing with social pressure”; “family measures—yes, but not this way”; “unfair treatment of the childfree”; “towards welfare state for all”; and “change my mind? Never, even if offered one million dollars.” The research demonstrated that childfree persons present favourable views on state support for families with children. While critical of cash‐based family support, respondents have a clear preference for investing in services enabling women to participate in the labour market. Finally, if public policies aimed at removing barriers to parenthood were strengthened, this would not change the respondents’ minds about procreation.

Health Enhancing Physical Activity Policies in Poland: Findings from the HEPA PAT Survey.

Insufficient physical activity (PA) is one of major risk factors for serious diseases and premature mortality worldwide. Public policies to enhance PA across society are recognized as an effective tool against the problem. This paper presents the results of a comprehensive assessment of national-level PA policy approach in Poland. A standardized survey of Word Health Organization named the Health-Enhancing Physical Activity Policy Audit Tool (HEPA PAT) was used for data collection. Content analysis and strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis (SWOT) were used to characterize various PA policy aspects, to appraise the current situation, and accommodate organizational and environmental factors that it is influenced by. The results show that the national PA policy approach has been constantly developing in Poland, but there is room for improvement in a number of areas. The most important weaknesses are the lack of clear leadership, no mechanisms in place to coordinate efforts undertaken at different levels, and lack of collaboration across different levels of government and across different sectors of economy. Providing an umbrella covering all PA promotion policies and activities is, therefore, a key issue to be addressed. The country should seize the opportunity coming from an increasing awareness of a healthy lifestyle among Polish society.

Sustainable Agro-Biomass Market for Urban Heating Using Centralized District Heating System

The importance of biomass for energy production is included in the government program “Energy Policy of Poland until 2040”. Biomass is one of the most stable renewable energy sources (RES), and its resources are the largest of all alternative energy sources. The paper presents and discusses the most important conditions that are related to the possible usage of the biomass that is obtained from agriculture for heating purposes. The aim of the study is to assess the energy potential of a selected agro-biomass and to indicate its effective use for the production of district heat. The research uses: in-depth statistical data analysis (data were obtained from the Central Statistical Office and the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture), inference methods, short- and long-term forecasting, the minimum spanning tree (MST) algorithm, and methods of single- and multi-criteria optimization for the selection of the most advantageous variant. The research covers three different scenarios: optimistic, moderate, and pessimistic. The results of the study present: technical and energy potential of biomass, taking into account its type, energy properties, and places of its collection; optimum location of intermediate storage and processing sites; and the optimum storage frequency of its transport to energy companies.

The Healthy Food Environment Policy Index in Poland: Implementation Gaps and Actions for Improvement.

Background: Poland is facing the growing problem of overweight and obesity in the population, which makes it necessary to conduct a thorough assessment of the existing food environment policies. The aims of the study were: (1) to depict the strength of healthy food environment policies in Poland and identify implementation policies and infrastructure support gaps; (2) to identify and prioritise improvement policies, taking into account their importance, achievability and equity. Methods: We used the Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI). An experts’ panel rated Polish policies and infrastructure compared to international best practices and developed a list of recommended improvement actions addressing both components. Results: eight of the twenty-two policy and four of the twenty-two infrastructure indicators achieved the “no/very weak policy” result. Another four policy and five infrastructure indicators were considered “weak”. Another seven and eight indicators, respectively, were assessed as “moderate”. Among the identified actions, the highest priority was given to a food labelling system and training for persons involved in nutrition in schools. Conclusions: The Polish healthy food environment has been assessed as very weak or weak in most aspects. The infrastructure was assessed as slightly better compared to the policies domain, with more indicators receiving the “moderate” score.

The strategic-relational formation of regional and metropolitan scales: studying two Polish regions undergoing transformation

ABSTRACT This paper aims to capture a given spatio-temporal fix in the regional and metropolitan formation processes within two Polish regions: Lubelskie and Silesia. The strategic–relational approach (SRA) to the state analysis was adopted to discern the key elements of regional and metropolitan discourses. The wide SRA framework allows us to situate these discourses within formal and substantive dimensions of both scales, and then – using the territory–place–scale–networks (TPSN) framework – to connect them to the other aspects of socio-spatial relations. The selected regions occupy a special place within regional policy in Poland and discourse at a national level due to structural problems within their territories. Therefore, different actors have identified the need for thorough regional transformations. In turn, they should be analysed in the context of the state transformation, which began in Poland in 1989, with its currently unknown direction when it comes to the modes of regional and metropolitan policies. The results of the research prove that specific actors adopt regionally different strategies, aiming at pursuing their own goals as well as supporting regional raison d’états. At the same time, however, it is difficult to indicate evidence of political rescaling concerning the transfer of tasks and resources to the regional scale, except for its strengthening resulting from the implementation of European Union funds, which can be considered in terms of governance or meta-governance failure. The ‘stewards of hope’ image has been assigned in this context to new metropolitan-scale institutions.

Winners and Losers of the CAP’s Rural Development Policy in Poland

The purpose of this study was to identify territorial clusters of Polish municipalities whose rural residents demonstrated higher or lower interest in the four programs of the CAP’s rural development policy compared to the country’s average interest. The clusters were identified on an aggregate basis and described with synthetic indexes of agriculture and rural development. The Moran’s global spatial autocorrelation coefficient was used to check for spatial autocorrelation. The results demonstrated that the support offered under the rural development programs covered by this analysis was higher in the regions with well-developed agricultural structures, while the areas with structural defects and the areas in need of development had lower-than-average levels of applications for all programs (regardless of their objectives). These findings call for a clear strategy to change the unfavorable structures in Polish agriculture. Otherwise, the regional development gaps in Polish agriculture will only deepen under these programs.

Does evaluation quality matter? Quantitative analysis of the use of evaluation findings in the field of cohesion policy in Poland

Numerous studies have examined the impact of evaluation quality on the use of evaluation, yet the findings are still inconclusive and only derived from examples in countries with a well-established evaluation culture. This article examines the relationship between evaluation quality and the instrumental use of evaluation in administrations with a low maturity of evaluation culture using Poland as a case study. The research method employs quantitative analysis of datasets regarding evaluation quality and recommendation use from the Polish cohesion policy evaluation system.The use of evaluation findings was measured at two stages: acceptance of recommendations and actual implementation. The results show that the impact of evaluation quality on the use of evaluation is limited and sometimes puzzling. While perceived utility increases the odds of accepting recommendations, the quality of analysis and conclusions reduces it. The actual implementation of recommendations is supported by the robustness of methodology, quality of the analysis and the clarity of the final report. Data reliability and achievement of the study objectives have no significant impact on either the decision to accept or implement recommendations. The problem of symbolic use is discussed as a potential explanation for the observed results.