Two Billion Euros for Małopolska
The Małopolska region will receive 2.39 billion euros in European funds for the period 2014–20.
The money is part of allocations for the EU Cohesion Policy, which accounts for over a third of the Union’s budget.
Poland as a whole will receive more than 72 billion euros, more than any other country in the Union. Italy is in second place with just under 30 billion.
Małopolska has been applauded for its use of previous EU grants. Elżbieta Bieńkowska, head of the Ministry of Regional Development, has repeatedly praised the Małopolska government’s efficiency at managing and using European Union funds.
Only one other Polish region will receive more money than Małopolska – Silesia is to get 2,78 billion euros. The funding calculation is based partly on regional GDP levels.
Perhaps some of this can be spent on visual/architectural improvements such as elimination of graffiti and street cleaning?
Between 1989 and 2006 Ireland received approximately €14bn in Structural and Cohesion Funds from the EU. I remember the transformation, going from the recession and stunted growth of the ’80s and early ’90s when I finished school to making the front cover of The Economist in 1996 as a shining example of economic success. The rest is history.
The similarities between Ireland back then and Poland of the present are uncanny (although Poland has ten times the population): history of emigration, economically dominant neighbour(s), Catholicism, relatively youthful demographics, strong ties to the USA, access to good third level education. What’s to come?
Poland stands at an exciting point in its development. Fingers crossed the powers that be keep a tight rein on it and don’t succumb to economic populism. There are some glaring recent examples of how one can blow it.
Way to go EU, pumping money into a corrupt, backwater country like Poland, what a joke!