No.
Incoming mission meets with Polish e-mobility sector
• OTTO Work Force: Automation is the direction of the future • Mandoria, City of Adventures, will open this summer
70 Spring 2020
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Bulletin Spring 2020 4
NPCC
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CHAMBER CALENDAR
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INTERVIEW
Director’s note
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Tomasz Dudek, Managing Director CEE at OTTO Work Force, speaks about current labour market trends in Poland
10 NEWS FROM OUR CHAMBER 12 ARTICLE
NPCC supports incoming E-mobility Mission organising over 70 meetings for Dutch companies
15 COLUMN
Tomasz Dudek from OTTO Work force, talks about current labour market trends
Staf Beems
16 INTERVIEW
M ichał Dybuła, Chief Economist at BNP Paribas Bank, gives an insight into economic forecast for 2020
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19 NPCC TEST DRIVE Mercedes EQC
20 INTERVIEW Daniel Heinst, Project Director of the Mandoria Theme Park,
tells more about the new adventure park that will bring guests back to the year 1520
22 ARTICLE FROM OUR PLATINUM SPONSOR
The first electric truck now in Poland!
Tailor made meetings for incoming e-mobility mission in February
23 COLUMN
Huub Droogh
24 NEWS FROM THE EMBASSY
20
26 NEW MEMBERS 27 ARTICLE
Five-star employer? Dare to get rated
28 ARTICLE
What can NLinBusiness do for you?
30 ARTICLE
LeasePlan shares 5 reasons to consider leasing a car for your business
31 COLUMN
Daniel Heinst on why trade is important in the Mandoria theme park
Remco van der Kroft
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Director’s note Dear Reader, You are currently holding the first Bulletin of 2020. A new year that promises many changes in the Polish market, such as rising inflation, a slowdown in the economy and, in the political arena, a presidential election, to name but a few. These changes will undoubtedly have an impact on your business and smart businessowners will have already started putting plans in place for how they can prepare themselves or, even better, how they can turn these challenges into opportunities. We at the NPCC used the 4th quarter of last year to carry out a thorough analysis of our operations and set our strategy for the coming 3 years, which can be summarised as follows: We want to become more relevant for our members by increasing open knowledge sharing.
Bulletin is the quarterly magazine of the NetherlandsPolish Chamber of Commerce. It gives a voice to our members and informs about the activities the Chamber undertakes. The views expressed in the columns are theirs alone. The Editor-in-Chief is not responsible for the accuracy of the statements made by the columnists. Publisher: NPCC Managing Editor: Anna Zadrożna Columnists: Huub Droogh Staf Beems Remco van der Kroft
We have a unique group of members that are all specialists in their own branch. We will tap into their knowledge base and set up four knowledge groups around chosen topics and themes. Members of these Knowledge Groups will meet several times a year, creating platforms for the open sharing of knowledge and best practices. The lively discussions on topics of interest will increase the interaction between members and make the Chamber even more valuable for its existing and potential members. By the end of 2022 at the latest we intend to have 8 active Knowledge Groups. In January, we had the kick-off event for our Agri circle at the New Year’s reception in Poznań, with a company visit to the premises of Zeelandia followed by a forum discussion with the Agricultural Counsellor of the Netherlands Embassy, Mrs. Caroline Spaans, and Editor-in-Chief of the renowned Top Agrar magazine, Karol Bujaczyk. This was a promising start for the circle and I am convinced that it’s a step in the right direction. Furthermore, we are still busy rolling out our regular agenda with events and matchmakings. In January, we assisted with an incoming mission on E-mobility organised by the Netherlands Embassy, when twelve companies from that sector in the Netherlands came on a fact-finding mission to Poland. Our team supported them by finding Polish partners in the market and it was great to see the high level of interest among Polish companies in the innovative ideas and products from the Netherlands. Furthermore, we were happy we could introduce many of our members from this sector to the participants of the mission. Lastly, I would like to remind you to watch the Groeimasters (Growmasters) webinar. This is an initiative of our partner NLinBusiness and sponsored by ING. Groeimasters is a series of online masterclasses that help you to grow your company. The series offers webinars about sales, marketing and leadership, but also on how to grow your company by entering international markets. The Groeimasters episode to be broadcast on 9 March is about exporting and investing in Poland and features Harm Laros of Storteboom, Theo Snoek of Valuepack and myself. The programme lasts for one hour, and it’s well worth a listen. Just go to the groeimasters.nl website and log on to watch this interesting episode.
Photos: Elro van den Burg Milena Zychowicz Netherlands Embassy in Poland Mateusz Kalinowski UP!Film
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OUR PLATINUM SPONSORS
Contact: www.nlchamber.com.pl office@nlchamber.com.pl +48 22 419 54 44
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Let me know at e.vandenburg@nlchamber.com.pl
Elro van den Burg Managing Director of the Netherlands-Polish Chamber of Commerce
Chamber
agenda
Activities of the Netherlands-Polish Chamber of Commerce 9 March
Groeimasters: How to do the business in Poland?
April 2020
Business Breakfast for New Members
Online Webinar More info will be announced via our website
10 March 2020
Business Drink
Warsaw More info will be announced via our website
April 2020
HR Knowledge Circle
Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Time: 17:30 - 19:30 Kawalerii 10 00-468 Warsaw
12 March 2020
Speed Business Mixer
Warsaw More info will be announced via our website
12 May 2020
Business Drink
Grohman’s Factory Time: 15:15 - 21.00 Tymienieckiego 22G 90-001 Łódź
31 March 2020
CEO Business Breakfast
Warsaw More info will be announced via our website
21 May 2020
HR Knowledge Circle
Sheraton Hotel Powstańców Warszawy 10 81-718 Sopot
14 April 2020
Business Drink
Łódź More info will be announced via our website
9 June 2020
BBQ Business Drink
Fort Sokolnickiego Czarnieckiego 51 01-541 Warsaw
21 April 2020
Agriculture Knowledge Circle
Warsaw More info will be announced via our website
19 September 2020
Piotrków Trybunalski More info will be announced via our website
25 April 2020
Rijsttafel in Jeans Łódź More info will be announced via our website
Orange Ball 2020 Warsaw More info will be announced via our website
3 - 4 October 2020
Trade Mission Plant - Based Meat Wrocław More info will be announced via our website
Please follow our NPCC website: www.nlchamber.com.pl for an updated calendar issue 70
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Tomasz Dudek
of OTTO Work Force:
“Automation and digitalisation are the directions of the future” In spite of the labour shortages in Poland, this country is still a very interesting destination for investors that want to invest, for instance, in industry 4.0 initiatives, says Tomasz Dudek, Managing Director CEE of OTTO Work Force. We talked with him about the always current topic of labour in Poland. Economists are warning that there will be lower economic growth in 2020. In times like these, employers often turn to the measure of replacing regular staff with temporary workers. Have you seen that trend already on the Polish market? “In times of economic slowdown, flexibility of employment is highly valued by employers. Employing temporary workers allows companies to adjust employment levels to their changing needs and facilitates flexible human resources management. At present, with the labour market still deeply understaffed, there are no changes in companies’ human resources policies. The labour market isn’t saturated enough for entrepreneurs to exchange employees.” In our interview with you a year ago, you mentioned that skilled IT people were the workers most in demand. What has changed over the past year in Poland and what job is currently most in demand? “IT specialists are still the most in-demand workers. There is still a place for technically skilled staff on the IT market, and the most
in-demand specialists are programmers and developers. The dynamic development of digitalisation and automation makes it almost certain that the need for IT specialists will continue to grow consistently. The labour market seems to show increasing interest in engineers and technology graduates, with engineers, biotechnologists and mechatronics technicians increasingly valued on the Polish labour market.” What can you tell us about the cooperation with your partner Outsourcing Inc., and what is the impact of that on the Polish market? “Our strategic cooperation with the Japanese group OUTSOURCING Inc. (OSI), and its strong position on the Asian market, has allowed OTTO to enter the global recruitment market. Increasing global economic migration, as well as staff shortages and the growing needs of Polish employers, forced us to look for alternative solutions in recruiting workers. Poland has a long history of employing foreign workers, mainly from Ukraine, and that is exactly why OTTO started employing Asian workers here. Thanks to our cooperation with organisations from Asia, we are able to accurately verify candidates’ qualifications to fit the needs of a given company. We have access to local vocational schools that provide the skills required to perform specific jobs, e.g. welding or sewing. Our Asian partners are familiar with the local conditions, regulations and candidates’ mentality and they are able to anticipate any potential problems that may come up during the recruitment process. Ultimately, Polish employers get highly qualified workers who
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can enrich their companies. In a longer-term perspective, our strategy assumes that several hundred workers will be employed every year. At present, we recruit manual workers for the manufacturing industry, logistics, the clothing industry and processing. In the future, we plan to recruit specialised workers, like engineers. Hiring workers from Asian countries is a great step into the future for entrepreneurs who have their companies’ long-term strategy in mind.” Could you tell us about the changes in Asia? Which countries are attractive for the workforce and which ones are not? “From the perspective of the Polish labour market, the most attractive countries are those with plenty of workers. And in Asia there is an abundance of labour resources. In this case, the key issue is the level of wages and the attractiveness of the job offers in Poland. With these in mind, we could well recruit in Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia and India. However, there are certain administrative and legal issues surrounding employing workers from Asia in Poland and obtaining visas might prove difficult. The embassies in Vietnam and Indonesia are quite efficient, so recruiting workers is easier in those countries. But paperwork in the embassy in India is usually rather difficult.” Has the Polish government’s standpoint on getting foreign workers from Asia changed much? “Unfortunately, the regulations concerning the employment of foreigners don’t keep up with the demands of our business. For workers from Asia and the Far East, the procedures can be very complicated and often take too much time. The legal and customs formalities are very complex. Workers require work and residence permits and the waiting period is still very long. Asian employees have problems with obtaining visas at their diplomatic missions or consulates. They have to wait for a long time and their problems start as soon as they try to register for waiting lists. These complicated formalities make the entire process of employing Asian workers way too long and discouraging for both potential workers and employers.” Political stability and the aging workforce are several factors why there are not so many new workers from Ukraine. Do you agree with that view, and why or why not? “The decreasing inflow of workers from Ukraine to Poland is connected with many issues. Obviously, one of the key factors is the economic growth in Ukraine and the growing incomes of its citizens. Over the past year, Ukrainians have experienced almost 16% growth in their incomes. At the same time, inflation has declined to 4.1% and the Ukrainian hryvnia has clearly consolidated. As a result, employment in Poland is now proving less and less competitive in comparison to job offers in Ukraine. We should remember that Ukrainians have become very familiar with the Polish labour market. They are aware of its possibilities
and pay much closer attention to the attractiveness of job offers in Poland. They do not only seek legal employment for much higher wages than in Ukraine, but they also look at the benefits offered by employers, especially ones that allow them to save as much money as possible. Another issue putting Ukrainians off is the complicated and timeconsuming procedures surrounding legal employment in Poland. Simplifying them would definitely improve the situation on the Polish labour market. There is also the question of the liberalisation of rules regulating the employment of foreign workers in other countries around the region. Some Ukrainians might be interested in labour markets other than Poland, and that is why Polish employers are forced to compete for temporary workers from Ukraine.” Is the lack of labour a factor for foreign investors in holding back from making investments? “The problem of the shortage of workers has been deepening in Poland for several years now. This situation is not going to improve in the foreseeable future due to the demographic crisis resulting from the low birth rates since the beginning of the 1990s. However, one must remember that Poland is not alone in experiencing shortfalls in its active workforce. This problem affects all of Europe. Staff shortages result in increased labour costs. For many investors, the low labour costs used to be the key argument for investing in Poland, but now the attractiveness of our country is decreasing in this regard. However, if you combine the labour costs with its quality and well-developed infrastructure, Poland still can be seen as an attractive alternative to Western markets. The labour market is about so much more than just low-level workers. It’s also about skilled staff and Poland has great academic centres. It offers good perspectives for the development of Industry 4.0, which is based on modern technology such as smart manufacturing. One factor that can have a negative influence on the level of foreign investment in Poland is the problem of the stability of economic policy. Dynamic changes never encourage investments which require long-term and strategic planning.” What do you notice about the trend for employers to automate work? Is that hampering your profit margins? “Without a doubt, automation and digitalisation are the directions of future development. Big factories have been investing in automatic solutions to decrease costs and facilitate production for some time now. But it’s still the beginning stage of this process and these are isolated incidents rather than a general trend influencing the level of employment. In future, the process of automation will significantly influence the labour market in Poland. But one thing is certain, the change will be consistent, and its effects will not be visible over the next few years. For now, the process of automation still doesn’t translate into a decrease in the demand for workers.”
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Chamber
news and events
Christmas Business Drink with BBC and ING Bank On December 10, the NPCC held its Christmas Business Drink - one of the last events of 2019 - together with the Belgian Business Chamber at the premises of the wonderful InterContinental Hotel. The Director of the Chamber welcomed all
the guests, presented the new members and gave a short preview of the upcoming events. After that, the floor was taken by representatives of the Dutch Embassy, who introduced their own various fields of activity. The main point of the official part of
the evening was a presentation given by an expert from ING Bank, Karol Pogorzelski, on the Polish economy after the general election, and the forecast for the coming year. After the presentation, everybody was able to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere in a slightly different way - with some delicious Dutch-Belgian-Indonesian cuisine. We would like to thank ING Bank for sponsoring the event, the hotel for the excellent food and support during the evening, and all the attendees and their partners for the superb networking atmosphere.
New Year’s Reception and company visit to Zeelandia Chamber and then a forum discussion took place led by Elro van den Burg and with the participation of the Agricultural Counsellor of the Netherlands Embassy, Mrs. Caroline Spaans, and Editor-in-Chief from the renowned Top Agrar magazine,
On 23 January, the NPCC organised a very successful New Year’s Reception at the premises of Zeelandia in Tarnowo Podgórne. The event was sponsored by BNP Paribas. During the company visit, we learned more about the baking business and the leading role played by the Zeelandia Group in the Polish baking ingredients market in terms of development and innovation. Afterwards, there was a conference during which NPCC chairman Coen Meijer launched the Agricultural Knowledge Group of the
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Karol Bujaczyk. In just half an hour, the participants were able to find out a lot about the challenges and opportunities in the agricultural sector in the coming year. All in all, it was an information-packed evening for the NPCC members in the Wielkopolska region.
Chamber
news and events
New Year’s Reception in Łódź With a total of around 150 guests from the NPCC in attendance, we were proud that we contributed the largest group of guests. We presented a Tesla electric car from Hitachi Capital Polska for guests to have a look at, and we also offered fresh Indonesian satay for them to eat, which was presented at the venue by Rob and Grażyna Regenhardt.
The 6th New Year’s Reception in Łódź, which took place on January 23 at the headquarters of mBank, was a resounding success. The meeting was a great opportunity for our members to start the New Year by making some new business contacts in Łódź as we had as many as 12 co-organising partners for the event, namely, the City of Łódź, the Technical University of Łódź, the Business Center Club, Lewiatan, mBank, MCKB, Raben, Amcham, the Polish-Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Belgian Business Chamber, the IndianPolish Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise Ireland.
The evening closed with a business card prize draw. Our special thanks go to our presenter for the evening, Andrzej Siess from Raben Group, our host mBank Polska, and our drinks sponsor Master Management Group, an American developer building a 20-storey service, office and hotel building in the Łódź CBD called Hi Piotrkowska.
Further thanks go to our local Chamber representatives, Sławomir Karasiński and Jasja van der Veen, for making this the largest regional Chamber event held in Łódź to date.
Visit at Gajusz Foundation End of last year regional chairman Jasja van der Veen from Łódź and Managing Director Elro van den Burg visited the premises of the Gajusz Foundation to officially hand over the cheque with money gathered during the Orange Ball
Business Drink with AEGON On 11 February, the Business Drink sponsored by Aegon attracted over 50 business people, who were all able to
enjoy the great atmosphere and some delicious food served up by Holiday Inn Warsaw City Centre. The attendees also
heard more about the Chamber’s strategy for the coming 2 years. The Managing Director of the Chamber, Elro van den Burg, introduced the audience in Warsaw to the Knowledge Circles initiative - our new project created in response to the growing demand for sharing knowledge between our members. Mr. Thijs Visscher presented Aegon’s approach to the new pensions scheme (Pracownicze Plany Kapitałowe), while a representative from the Embassy, Mr. Martin van Buuren, shared some information about their activities. The rest of the evening was taken up with opportunities for networking.
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NPCC supports
incoming e-mobility mission The Netherlands-Polish Chamber of Commerce was one of the supporting partners during an incoming foreign trade mission on e-mobility on 3 and 4 February that was organised by the Netherlands Embassy and the RVO. Eleven Dutch companies and a representative from the municipality of Utrecht participated in the two-day mission programme, during which the NPCC offered tailor-made matchmaking meetings for the Dutch companies present.
E-mobility is an important subject in Poland. The Polish government has ambitious plans and is now making significant investments in this sector, especially at municipality level. Currently, the most prominent innovation is the expansion of electric buses in cities such as Warsaw. According to Sanne Kaasjager, Head of the Economic Department of the Netherlands Embassy and initiator of the mission, "Poland wants to make a significant commitment to the development of e-mobility in the coming years, especially to combat air pollution in large Polish cities."
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Warsaw and Łódź, this event was also attended by a large number of representatives from the Polish business community, (local) governments and knowledge institutions active in the field of e-mobility. As Walter Oostelbos said: "The success of the e-mobility sector in the Netherlands is the result of a well-coordinated public-private partnership in which central and local governments support private parties with legislation and regulations and groundbreaking initiatives."
The companies participating in the mission pay a visit to vehicle producer Triggo
Deputy Chef de Poste Walter Oostelbos kicked off the mission on Monday 3 February with a speech during the conference called "Dutch E-mobility Day". In addition to the deputy mayors of
During Dutch E-mobility Day, extensive attention was paid to the latest e-mobility developments in Poland and the Netherlands. One of the challenges for Poland is the fact that the small number of available charging stations is preventing many Poles from switching to electric cars. During the conference, Dutch experts, including Sonja Munnix from the RVO, gave their vision on how this challenge could be handled. Sonja said: "The first priority when e-mobility in the Netherlands
Hitachi Capital Polska introduces e-truck onto the Polish market In the coming years, we want to increase our fleet with more electric vehicles and vans that run on CNG and LNG fuels,” says Justyna Siwek, spokesperson for Polish Post.
NPCC Managing Director Elro van den Burg congratulates Poczta Polska, Hitachi Capital Polska and Framo on putting the first e-truck in Europe into service
During a working meeting at the premises of Polish Post, specialists from Framo and Hitachi met with fleet managers from a number of other companies to discuss the opportunities offered by e-trucks. Many of them were close to making the decision to start testing electric trucks and a lot of time was spent discussing the technical details of the truck, such as the batteries, the driving range and future battery innovations. After several test drives, the e-truck was put into operation by Polish Post and can now be seen driving around the Mazowiecki province.
The month of February was full of e-mobility news from the chamber and our members. On 11 February, Polish Post and the Żabka store chain were the first companies in Europe to put an e-truck through its paces, testing it to see how it operates in courier logistics and as part of the FMCG supply chain. The truck, powered solely by electricity, is manufactured on the basis of the MAN TGM chassis by the German producer Framo Gmbh and it has been brought to the Polish market by Hitachi Capital Polska. According to their renewable energy strategy, Polish Post wants to reduce CO2 emissions and introduce electric cars into its fleet. “At the end of 2019, the first electric vans were added to our fleet. The company currently has the largest fleet of electric utility vans in Poland.
Several people were interested in taking the unique e-truck for a test drive
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the founder of EBKE e-bikes and scooters, saying: “I would like to thank the NPCC team for organising the matchmakings in Warsaw. I have gained valuable contacts that will certainly facilitate the market entry of the EBKE e-bikes in Poland. Due to these contacts, I will soon visit Warsaw again, bringing one of our bikes for demonstrations.”
Over 100 participants took part in the networking cocktail event
During the second, and last, day of the mission, the Dutch delegation was briefed during a power breakfast by Elro van den Burg, Managing Director of the NPCC, and Remco van der Kroft, advocate and partner at OKW, about the opportunities, risks, cultural differences and legal aspects of doing business in Poland. Martin van Buuren from the Embassy explained the Polish climate and energy policy.
was still in its infancy was the development of the required charging infrastructure together with market parties; this turned out to have been a very good choice for the Netherlands." Another important element of both mission days were the B2B speed networking sessions organised by the NPCC, during which each mission participant was given the opportunity to sit down with potential Polish business partners. In the weeks prior to the meeting days, the NPCC team had carried out market research for the Dutch companies and managed to set up more than 70 meetings with their Polish counterparts. Together, the Dutch participants offered a diverse portfolio of products, ranging from charging stations, electric bicycles and electric city vans. Elro van den Burg, director of the NPCC: "For several Dutch companies, the new contacts led directly to new leads and the decision to come back to Poland soon." The incoming companies were very satisfied with the contacts they were provided with. The NPCC had managed to organise more than 70 business meetings for the various companies, with one of the participants of the matchmaking sessions, Wouter Tijdgat,
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B2B speed networking sessions
To conclude the mission, field visits were made on the second day to car producer Triggo and the municipal transport company MZA, which has recently ordered 130 e-buses for Warsaw. “ We can look back on a very successful mission and Poland's great interest in Dutch solutions. The potential for Polish-Dutch cooperation is significant," said Daniël Tserepnin, advisor for Poland at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).
Column Staf Beems Entrepreneur and owner of Silesia Consulting
WE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME During my time as a CEO in the Netherlands working for English shareholders, my „famous” chairman often used to say to me, „Staf, if I were you...” before going on to explain how well a certain company in England was performing and that very simply I was supposed to follow their policy or, better to say, strategy. This issue always came up whenever we discussed topics where the cultural differences between the UK and Holland were most apparent. My answer was always: „Mr Chairman, I am so happy I am not you.” In fact, his remark was „killing” as I had to understand that it was a polite way of telling me that no matter what I thought, whatever I said or did was stupid. I realised, of course, that this discussion would eventually lead to the end of our work together and I am proud that it was me who pulled the plug. And believe me, I have never regretted that decision. Why do I come back to this issue which happened in 1992? I was recently asked by a German international company to advise them on how to operate in Poland. They knew that I had spent 8 years working in Poland in an international company with Dutch shareholders, but as we’d also had „brothers” in Germany, they thought and hoped that I was used to the German mentality as well. That was true but we had different opinions on how a foreigner should manage a company in Poland, or rather how you should live, work and behave in a foreign country. Every company which wants to operate in a „new” country starts with one crucial decision – do we want a manager of our own or a local person? They started with a German manager and they were now facing the fact that their third Polish CEO in 5 years was again not the candidate they had hoped he would be. Could you please coach this person and help him to understand what we expect him to do? Without going into too many details, my counter-questions were: What do you want and what do you expect? And what has gone, or is going, wrong? Where the British chairman talked to me with „If I…” etc., the Germans told me that he should follow the German rules. And, in particular, they told me, „Bei uns machen wir das so und so” (In our country we do it like this). Given the fact that many people like to spend their holidays in a foreign country because of the climate, different food, different people and other challenges, we see that the moment we want to work in a foreign country we like to copy what we do in our home country. And, in my opinion, that’s totally wrong! You want to be in a new country with a different mentality and your target should be to use the best of the new country with the best of your own country.
I’m still working with the company, but I must admit that it’s not easy. Although I think we’re making progress, unfortunately it’s very slow for all parties involved. But it’s not only in business that it’s difficult to bring different educational backgrounds and diverse mentalities together. It’s the same in politics, and even in marriage too, to give some other examples. In that same group of companies we also had French „brothers”. The French mentality is not one of ‘What can I do for my company?’ but ‘What should the company do for me?’ In other words, maybe it is an unsolvable problem where a lot of consultants (myself included) can make their money but not come up with a solution. And to conclude with this issue, I would say that it’s even worse, in fact almost impossible, when you get involved in a family company where you have to deal not only with the owner but also with family members as well. If you happen to work in such a company, I would say ‘Have fun!’ as you really need to stay strong. The biggest mistake that many people make is they want to change the rules of the game during the match itself. But that is always a „no-go” and will result only in frustration and your eventual departure. Look around you, and I’m sure you will agree with me. And if not, read the following. The tale of the hen and the eagle Once there was a Hen; a beautiful decorative Hen with beautiful feathers on her wings and head. She would walk around the farmyard and all the cocks would look on with admiration at how proudly she strutted around and how brightly her feathers shone. The cocks looked at her lustfully. The Hen loved her life being worshipped by the other birds. One day, a young Eagle was flying over the yard. He was young and strong, sensitive to beauty and looking for a companion for his nest up high. The Hen, walking so proudly, caught his eye and he was so impressed that he invited her to come and live with him in his lofty nest. The Hen got on the Eagle’s back and they flew high up to the nest. The other chickens and roosters looked at the Hen with admiration but also jealousy. They looked great together, but the other eagles feared for the Hen’s health. They were flying so high! With the air so thin up there, would the Hen be able to fly that high? How would she be able to keep up with the young Eagle flying at that height? Some time passed and the Hen did her best to keep up with the Eagle. The curiosity of all birds, those flying and walking, changed from admiration to reflection. The other birds noticed that the Hen couldn’t keep up with the Eagle and, as a result, she tried to change the laws governing the world in which the Eagle lived. The young Eagle expected his beloved Hen to make his life easier in the high nest. Some months later, the Hen started to miss the yard, her friendship with the other hens and the noise of the chicken coop. Every evening, the Hen cried mournfully into the Eagle’s feathers. ‘My love, we are birds, but it is difficult for me to be in this high nest. Everyone expects me to fly as high as you and the other eagles. My love, please let’s go back to the yard. It is too cold, the wind blows and down there it will be warm. My love, you can walk with us in the yard and you won’t have to sit in this cold nest,’ she said. The young Eagle’s love for the beautiful Hen was so great that they left the nest and the Eagle’s family overnight. They flew down to the chicken coop and started living there together. The young Eagle had to learn how to coax anyone who wanted to throw a handful of grain to the chickens. He had to forage for food in the sand like the rest of the chickens. From time to time, he looked up at the sky and saw the other eagles circling high overhead. What is he thinking? What does he dream about? What does the Hen expect from him? She told him every evening: ‘We are both birds, but it’s easier for you to walk with me in the yard than for me to sit in your cold, high nest. You know I was born a Hen and I will never become an Eagle.’
This column is written à titre personnel and does not necessarily reflect the views of the NPCC board or its members.
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Michał Dybuła
Electricity and water prices
can hamper growth in Poland in the longer run 16
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BNP Paribas is expecting GDP growth of around 3% for 2020, slowing to 2-2.5% over the upcoming decade. Bulletin discussed this forecast with chief economist Michal Dybuła from BNP Paribas Bank Polska.
slowing from 4% in 2019 to 3% this year, but next year it should be up to 3.5%, with the second half of 2021 back to the level of around 4% growth again. I think a lot of the additional factors which have been supporting the economy, such as the big fiscal space that has been used up by the government, are simply not possible anymore. Therefore, the pace of the upswing is going to be somewhat weaker than say in 2016 or 2017.”
What is your general outlook for the year 2020?
What can you say about inflation?
Michał Dybuła: “Perhaps the most important theme is that we’re going to have weaker growth and higher inflation. Neither of these should be surprising, but I know that some people have started painting some potentially bigger scenarios like stagflation, which means basically no growth or very weak growth for a long time combined with strong pressure on prices. I don’t believe that. It’s true that 2020 will be challenging, but I see it as a cyclical process, so it’s nothing to be particularly worried about.
“I’ve noticed that some people are fearing the emergence of stagflation here in Poland. I don’t believe that, because rising inflation today is following a long period of very strong economic growth in previous years. With the economy slowing down this year, inflation in 2021 should be less of a concern, I think. If we zoom in, we can see a few of the factors that are driving this inflation story. One of them is the robust demand in the previous quarters and the very strong pace of wages. That’s expected to accelerate even further this year, given the 15% hike in the minimum wage. So all that is going to filter through in the price formation chain.
In 2019, we didn’t have a great backdrop from the global economy and it is has been affecting Poland’s export-oriented manufacturing sectors. This is the prime reason for the Polish growth slowdown. The second thing is that the absorption of EU funds is also slowing, though again this is a cyclical process which is only temporary. And the third factor for softer growth, is that the impact of this very strong fiscal boost that the government has introduced last year is going to fade slowly. So we actually have three reasons to be less optimistic about the near-term growth prospects in the coming one or two quarters, especially now with the coronavirus. We have seen factory shutdowns in China and naturally that is going to affect the logistics and value chains that rely on Chinese manufacturing production. But, think the temporary loss in output is going to be covered by the stronger production later, once the virus has been contained. Nevertheless, when we get towards the middle of 2020, and certainly beyond, we should expect stronger global growth. This will be caused by a decent increase in corporate investments that were delayed due to the trade war. Since things are now normalizing, we expect a rebound in investments. The other very important thing is softer monetary policy all across the board. The US is cutting interest rates, and the ECB is reengaging in quantitative easing with its resumption of the asset purchase programme. That’s important because it underpins a kind of ‘wall of liquidity’ and therefore also facilitates this investment upswing that I think is in the making. So, overall, I think growth-wise we’re going to get a dip in the first half-year in Poland, but as we look forward this situation should gradually improve. In terms of the big figures, growth is likely to be
Another factor is the rising electricity cost for the corporate sector. The government was able to offset the increase for small and medium-sized companies last year, but now we should expect to see the full impact of more expensive energy on overall prices. And the final factor is taxes. A 10% increase in excise tax on tobacco and alcohol has been already implemented from January, and now an additional tax on sugar is also being contemplated, which will mean that many drinks containing sugars will be additionally taxed. That is going to add to the headline CPI (Consumer Price Index) inflation data for the next 12 months.” Can you give us some more detailed forecast figures on inflation? “On average, we’re looking at something like 3.7% this year, with a top level of 4.3-4.4% in February. By March, fuel price disinflation will help to push the CPI figure successively below 4%, however. That’s our story for the moment. All those different factors that I’ve mentioned - high wages, robust demand, high electricity prices and taxes - will stay with us through the year. Next year, with the tax effect fading of course, we should expect further deceleration, both in terms of headline and core inflation. Personally, I’m not inclined to believe that there will be another 15% hike in the minimum wage in 2021. Last year, the ruling party made this pre-election promise that the minimum wage would be 4,000 zlotys per month, which implied a 15% hike over the course of the next couple of years. I don’t think this is going to be possible,
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however, especially when you consider the fact it will create quite a lot of problems for small companies which are generally much more involved in labour-intensive industries and also have less scope for automating their processes. Not to mention, of course, the service sector, where you basically have a one-to-one relationship between wage growth and the price of services. And if the latter is going to be too high in terms of what the consumer is willing and able to absorb, such a fast pace of continued wage rises could easily force quite a lot of companies from the market because they wouldn’t be able to cope with this cost push.” So do you expect that the government will see this mechanism and not follow through with that idea? “The minimum wage will continue to rise but not at the pace promised. This is the assumption that we’re making in our forecasts for 2021 and 2022. This year, 2020, I think that overall average wage growth it will be somewhere between 7-8%, because there’s going to be this 15% hike in the minimum wage and that will affect quite a lot of the workforce. According to European data, around 20% of the workforce in Poland is earning up to 110% of the minimum wage, at best. The pass-through the other layers of wage earnings is going to be relatively strong, but that’s not everything. The other side of the wage-setting process includes productivity, and the situation on the labour market. The situation on the labour market is good, so it’s tilting in favour of higher wages, but productivity growth naturally slows when GDP growth weakens. Therefore, this component is going to reduce the pace of overall wages and at least partly off-set the factors supporting stronger compensation growth.” What will happen with the salaries for people in the middle, or just below the middle, who receive average salaries? “If you are very close to the minimum wage, you should expect an increase of around 10%, but the higher up you go, the more modest the wage increases will be. That’s how it always works. If you have a workforce that is on around 120-130% of the minimum wage on average, you should expect that wage pressure will also start to build. You clearly cannot leave those people on the level of the minimum wage, so you will have to rise their wage level as well, but certainly not by as much as 15%.” Do you see a direct correlation between labour shortages on the market and foreign direct investments in Poland? “We do see, in general, that the pace of FDI is slowing down but that is something of a natural phenomenon. We had a peak, not only in Poland but all across the region, with the privatisations of the 1990s and at the beginning of this century, but since then FDI inflows have been gradually slowing down. Now FDIs are becoming much more selective. You still see inflows and very high-tech-driven things like batteries for electric cars, but the overall inflows are weaker. FDI flows are also very cyclical. After 2019, which wasn’t a great year for the global and European economies, one would naturally expect reduced FDI inflows.
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However, in the context of the wage and electricity price rises in Poland, we expect the corporate sector to be investing quite heavily. These investments will not be related to capacity expansion, but aimed more at reducing costs and improving efficiency. This means, to put it simply, robots instead of people, as there will continue to be significant pressure on the labour market and the shortage of skilled workers is going to get bigger and bigger, due to demographic reasons. Another area where we expect more investments is in technology reducing energy consumption per unit of production. This is important because one may easily assume that electricity prices in Poland will continue to rise. An additional field, which is likely to see more capital investments is water management, with all kinds of closed water management systems within companies to reduce the waste of water. That’s particularly important because Poland does have a very real problem with water that may well get worse in the next few years.” The date of the presidential election has been set for 10 May. What will the impact of the election be on the government and fiscal measures? “We are already hearing voices calling for further measures, such as a further lowering of the retirement age, which in a longer-term perspective look very dangerous from a fiscal point of view. The budget is already pretty stretched. At face value, it looks good because we have a central government budget at zero this year. However, we know that, first of all, this deficit is flowing out to other parts of the general government system, and, secondly, that the zero budget deficit is largely due to one-off measures like absorbing the dismantling of the private pillar pension system. So it’s not really a zero deficit central government budget. The risk is that when we go further into 2021 and 2022, even without any additional measures, we could end up with somewhere around a 2.5% deficit relative to GDP, which by itself is not bad as it’s still below 3% but it’s certainly not at zero.” What are your expectations about GDP in a long-term horizon? “In the longer run, we are expecting around 3%, slowing down to 2-2.5% over the whole upcoming decade. Physical barriers to growth, such as shortages of energy and water, are likely to become increasingly important for long-term prospects. If you look at the media discussions that are going on between the government, scientific circles and, of course, environmental activists, you clearly get the sense that the scarcity of natural resources is indeed becoming a bigger problem in Poland. Those resources are going to be more difficult to use, therefore becoming more costly. Certainly, there is still an open window to deal with this challenge both on the government policy side and on the side of corporate investment policies, but no time should be wasted. We have evidence from our clients that they are increasingly engaged in investments reducing energy and water consumption, but that has to be an ongoing process and it has to further accelerate, I think.”
NPCC Test Drive
Will Mercedes beat Tesla? It was only a matter of time before the world’s oldest car-maker joined the EV race. The EQC 400 is the first in a line of all-new electric Mercedes models that fall under its EQC brand. The EQC looks a little like a GLC but it’s actually a completely new electric vehicle. At the front, it seems to have been given a plastic gag across its face, which runs underneath the headlights and moulds into the front bumper. There are also fancy headlights that glow blue, and fibre optics surrounding the grill. And at the rear, there appear to be fake exhaust pipes. On an electric car…why?
electric motor powering the front wheels and another one powering the rear wheels. Combined, they deliver 408 bhp, which means you can get from 0-100 in 5.2 seconds. The two motors make the EQC four-wheel drive, so you have lots of grip on slippery roads, and you can even do some mild off-roading or tow loads of up to 1,800 kg in weight, though this is still 700 kg less than a GLC can take. The car is very refined and a real pleasure to drive. One of the things we noticed is that, out of all other electric cars we have driven, it is extremely quiet. The Mercedes entertainment system lives up to the rest of the interior. You get two huge screens and their crystal-clear displays are a pleasure to look at. You can control the infosystem directly using the touchscreen or via a second smaller touchscreen located between the two front seats. Mercedes uses the MBUX infotainment system which is basically Mercedes’ answer to the Apple operating system.
If you drive carefully, say Mercedes, the EQC will get you 350 km on a single charge, with tests showing that on average the car will drive 4.3 km per kWh. This is certainly not the best performance on the market, in fact it’s rather average at best. The car’s 80 kWh battery pack weighs 650 kg, which is quite a lot, and although it can be charged with your domestic 3-pin plug, that will take forever. With a rapid DC charger, however, the battery can be charged from 10 percent to 80 percent in just 40 minutes, which is much better. Inside the EQC, the cabin is designed as luxuriously as any midrange Mercedes SUV, although some elements in the interior do feel a little cheap. You can also have your EQC with finely woven Sunnyvale fabric upholstery and metallic-look textiles on the instrument panel. How very new age!
Inside, although it’s an electric car, it hasn’t got a completely flat floor, which means that the middle rear-seat passenger lacks some legroom. On the other hand, the tall SUV body style gives plenty of headroom. There is also a 500-litre boot, which is about 70 litres less than the Jaguar I-Pace has. The EQC comes with an array of useful technology to help you to accelerate, steer or brake on motorways, while the blind spot assist will prevent you from pulling out in front of a car hidden in your blind spot. We found the EQC to be a very pleasant car to drive. The lack of range is a bit of a downside for us, as is the fact that it looks like a regular GLC and not so much like an electric car. However, it will definitely win over a lot of Mercedes enthusiasts.
Conserving energy as you drive might be easier than you think. The EQC has five driving modes, including ‘max range mode’. In this setting, the car’s accelerator pedal vibrates to tell you when to take your foot off if you are cruising downhill or approaching a roundabout. There’s also a clever option connected to the car’s navigation system, which allows you to get feedback on specific road conditions. While the EQC can match a regular SUV for practicality, it stands out even more when it comes to performance. It has one The Netherlands Polish Chamber of Commerce was invited to test this car by Planet Car Lease
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Daniel Heinst: “I often have to explain what a theme park is” The Ptak family is investing 108 million zlotys in the construction of the Mandoria theme park in the Łódź area. The park, which will have trade in the Renaissance as its central theme, is currently being built in Rzgów near Łódź. Bulletin talked to Daniel Heinst, project director of the park. Can you tell us a little more about the Mandoria theme park? Daniel Heinst: “We are building a new theme park in a very central location just outside the city of Łódź, in what is now called Ptak Fashion City. The investor is the Ptak family. The theme of the park is going to be “trade”, and we really have invested a lot of time and effort in creating this theme to make sure that it’s more than just a simple amusement park. We have created the fictional city of Mandoria, which can be imagined as a hansa city, that well-known commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northwestern and Central Europe. All the activities and entertainment take place in this trade town, run by a trade council, with traders from all over the world trading their goods. We have picked a specific time - the year 1520. So when you
go to Mandoria, you will go back in time into 1520. This is the age of discovery, the age of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Copernicus and Galileo, when the first trade routes are being opened, when tea is coming from China, coffee from Africa and chocolate from Latin and South America. We are trying to include all these elements in the theme park. There will obviously be many attractions and rides there, but they will not be the main point of interest of the park when people go there. The park itself will be one giant attraction.” So it’s loosely based on the idea of hansa cities? “We wanted to create a place like a city that you can visit and learn about trade, which is a topic close to the hearts of the Ptak family. Automatically the idea came to mind: “Let’s build something like a hansa city.” Of course, the actual hansa cities didn’t exist in the Renaissance, but it’s a theme park after all, not a museum. We’re playing with reality, with history, so we’ve picked those elements that suit us and try to combine them to make a world which is believable but not necessarily historically accurate.” Both Polish and Dutch people are traders. Is that part of our combined history something that we can see back in Mandoria? “We are telling the story of traders on many, many levels. On the lowest level, you’re just a customer. You buy a ticket and you will find a lot of entertainment. On a slightly higher level, you get a little bit more integrated into all the elements that we’ve put into the theme park. Since Mandoria is a city, we will have citizens, called Mandorians, walking around the town. The Mandorians will be dressed like in Renaissance times and they will shop, trade, talk, drink and play games so visitors can interact with them in many ways. This is a slightly higher level. On another level, you can also discover a lot of the other hidden elements that we have put in the park.” Is the theme and the interaction with people from the park an idea that you have picked up from theme parks in the West? “To be honest, there isn’t one example that that we are copying. We’ve analysed a lot of popular parks, mostly in Europe and the United
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from the success of the other parks that people are able and willing to pay these ticket prices. And, ultimately, we offer very good value for money, when you calculate back the amount of money and the hours that you spend there. In our business, we always look at the value per entertainment hour. When you go for a movie, you spend about two hours there, so divide the ticket price by 2 and that is your entertainment hour cost. If you compare that with our park, then our park is a lot cheaper than going to the cinema because you can stay for 4 to 6 hours.” Looking at western Europe, there is still a lot more entertainment for people to do on a day out. Maybe Poles are not used to going to these kinds of parks. Do you expect that to change?
States, visiting them and being inspired by some of the elements that all the parks do well. But it’s quite an ambitious project, especially in terms of the time scale that we are trying to open in and the budget that we’re working with. We’re not Disney, we don’t have a workforce of 3,000 people building the theme park and we need to get the absolute maximum out of all the possibilities that we have in order to bring the project to fruition.” How will you attract visitors to the park? “We’re absolutely convinced that we can pull it off. True, we haven’t bought a strong settled IP (intellectual property) entertainment concept, like has been done with Majaland which was established in western Poland. By creating a story of our own, we know it’s going to take more time to build the brand. But when we succeed, then it will be our brand and a concept that we can develop in any way we want. One of the downsides to using a licensed brand is that you are limited. You always have to get the full agreement of the licence holder. We didn’t want to get into a situation where we would try something and the IP holder would say: ‘I don’t like the idea anymore, we’re not going to do it.’ We wanted to have the freedom to make our own mistakes.” And why Łódź? How do you see the city and the spending power of the people here? “Ptak has been settled here for 20-25 years now. It is a very wellknown destination, just outside Łódź. Ptak Fashion City is a wholesale centre with an outlet and retail park which already attracts 9 million people annually. So we’re convinced that the location works. If you analyse the location objectively, we’re really in the heart of Poland. We’re almost at the crossing point of the A2 and A1 motorways, and we have 20 million inhabitants within a 2-hour drive: we have Poznań, Warsaw, Wrocław, Śląsk, and Łódź itself, which is the third biggest city in Poland. This is an absolutely huge catchment area. To compare it with Majaland, they have only 9 million inhabitants in their catchment area. We’re absolutely convinced that the location will help us on account of its accessibility. It’s very, very easy for our target audience to reach us.” Looking at the market, we can see that spending power in Poland is growing and growing. Was that an argument to invest in this theme park now? “I think that if you look at the theme parks currently in Poland, entrance fees are already pretty close to the prices in western Europe, especially when you look at some of our Polish competitors, where prices are slowly reaching European levels. So, relatively, it’s actually more expensive for Polish visitors than for Dutch ones. But we can see
“That’s totally true, they aren’t used to it, but they are hungry for entertainment. We see it everywhere, no matter what you open up, and they attract crowds that you wouldn’t see in western Europe. Of course, the quality is important because people are learning. They travel and see what is available abroad and they become more demanding in Poland, so that drives up the quality of the entertainment here. But indeed, it’s still a relatively new market. We are confident also because over the last few years some major players have entered Poland and they have broken open the market for us. However, it still happens very often that I have to explain what a theme park actually is, how it’s different from an amusement park or how it differs from a travelling Lunapark. So yes, we’re still on a learning curve but, as with any other market in Poland, it’s going really, really fast and that only shows the potential of the market.” Who are your competitors here in the Łódź region? How do you view that aspect? “There isn’t that much competition for us in Łódź right now. That was also one of the reasons to jump into it at this time. The nearest competition is, of course, Majaland, which I became involved in 5 years ago. Majaland is about 4 hours’ drive from Łódź, so for now it’s completely outside our catchment area and no competition for us. To the south, there is Energylandia but around Warsaw there are no theme parks yet, at least not at the moment. Of course, the ‘Park of Poland’ water park has just opened, which is a major entertainment investment. We will be competing for the entertainment hours and entertainment budget of our audience; however, it is a completely different category.” When will the first phase be ready? “The first phase will be ready this summer, but it’s an investment that will not finish any time soon. Basically, we will open up something new every year and on some occasions every six months. What we are opening now is really the very first step, the first two zones. But immediately in September we will be opening the third one, and probably next summer the fourth one. The first phase is indoors, and we are already planning 5 hectares outdoor. Once you start building a theme park, you never really stop. It’s a never-ending story.” When will we hear more from the theme park? “Over the next few months, when the opening date is getting closer, we will start more activities. We have a great animation team, the citizens of Mandoria, we have the bard, our herald, and we have the Mandorian ambassador - they will travel through Poland visiting all the major cities like Wrocław, Poznań, Kraków and Warsaw. Just keep your eyes open because you might have the chance to meet some Mandorians right on the street.”
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The first electric truck now in Poland!
Electromobility has become a very hot topic recently. Not only is Hitachi Capital Polska closely involved in the development of e-mobility in Poland, but care for the environment in general is a matter of the utmost concern for the entire Hitachi group. Last year, HCPL launched a long-term rental offer on the Polish market for the first Maxus EV 80 electric van, and this February it supported an initiative to bring the first Framo electric truck to Poland. Poczta Polska (Polish Post) and the Żabka chain of convenience stores were the first in Europe to test this 18-ton electric truck and they used it to see how the vehicle performs in the logistics and urban distribution industries. The car - which runs solely on electricity - is built on the basis of the MAN TGM chassis by the German manufacturer, Framo Gmbh. The tests carried out at Poczta Polska were part of a joint project run by Framo, Hitachi Capital Polska and Keratronika and they proved to be highly successful. Poczta Polska used the truck to deliver postal items in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship. As part of the tests, the company also cooperated with the Polskie Stowarzyszenie Paliw Alternatywnych (Polish Alternative Fuels Association). The Framo electric truck is the first test vehicle which was manufactured almost 4 years ago for demonstration purposes. In recent years,
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Framo trucks have been used in various configurations by ALDI, BMW production plants in Munich and municipal plants in Vienna, among others, as well as the logistics company DB Schenker in Berlin. The electric truck, which has a total weight of 18 tons, uses a Framo battery with a power capacity of 250 kWh. When high-performance chargers are used (the range on a single full battery charge is 250-270 km [> 150 kWh]), the charging time can last around 2 hours. There is also the possibility to install a charger module on the vehicle itself which can be used to charge the battery, for example at night. Expected battery life, maintaining full efficiency, is ca. 4 years and almost 4,000 charging cycles. The demonstrated vehicle was equipped with a loading lift, which when used on a daily basis - judging from previous experience - does not significantly reduce the distance covered. The vehicle has a significantly lower noise level compared to conventional diesel engines and its technical parameters allow the zero-emission transport of goods while at the same time respecting the natural environment. First opinions: „Keep your eyes open, your ears are useless now... it’s so quiet!” Hitachi Capital Polska supports electromobility in Poland and finances electric cars with Full Service Leasing. It is now also ready to finance electric trucks. www.hitachicapital.pl www.planetcarlease.pl
Column Huub Droogh Huub Droogh is an urbanist and partner of RDH Urban in Poznań
Digital world, analogue opposition? Anarchy is a state of disorder due to the absence, or non-recognition, of authority or any other controlling system. According to this definition, Poland’s national government recently declared the country to be an anarchic state. How else should I interpret the official statement of the government to ignore a court ruling of Poland’s highest court, when it concerns the independent status of the justice system within the country? One of the first activities of the current national government when taking over responsibility for the country’s governance was to suppress the independence of Poland’s public media. Over recent years, the separation between religion and politics, one of the basics for a workable democratic system, has been consistently dismantled. With its recent declaration, the national government is demolishing the last part of what was left of the already fragile distinction between politics and the justice system. It is the final piece in the process of subduing democracy to its own standards. In contrast to what most people may think, my profession as an urbanist isn’t firstly about the design of public space and formulating conditions within which buildings can be erected. What is most important in defining responsible urban development is balancing the spatial and environmental conditions with economic and social needs. The most fascinating, and at the same time most difficult, part of my profession is how to deal with the time factor necessary to execute urban processes. Urban solutions for the ‘issues of today’ become outdated, and therefore useless, very quickly. The key is to focus on ‘solutions for tomorrow’. Coming up with ‘solutions for next week’ are crucial for development which will serve the needs of upcoming generations. Projecting the outcome of current trends 10 years ahead of time is an inseparable part of my professional DNA. Not as a fortune teller, but as a professional with extensive experience in considering the effects of interventions over a longer time. For most people, anarchy is still probably too big a word for Poland’s current situation. Water is still running from the taps, wall sockets
provide electricity, petrol is available, restaurants are flourishing and the Polish zloty still has an exchange rate with the Euro. So what am I whining about? Well, anyone who knows just a little about history can predict where the government’s recent choice will ultimately lead to. It may take five years, or even ten, but it is not necessary to go too far away from home or too deep into history to see it. Besides the issue of human rights and morality, there are also some down-to-earth business interests for NPCC members to consider while developing your business strategies for the future. How attractive is a country for serious investment when it is no longer protected by an independent court system? How trustworthy is a nation whose government denies the need for environmental intervention over climate change, and is gambling with international respect and also flirting with the idea of leaving the EU? How long can we trust the financial and economic reports and predictions of state-run institutes? Just to throw a few logs onto the fire… For a few years now, it hasn’t been necessary for the authorities to get a court order to have a wiretap placed on your phone in Poland. Every high-ranking police or secret service officer can decide to it. L’histoire se répète, and modern opposition groups already know how to deal with it. They have started to U-turn government methods and restore ‘old experiences’. The intervention of hackers misleads and disrupts the digital communication tools of the authorities during protest actions nowadays. People joining demonstrations in Hong Kong don’t use cell phones or Facebook anymore to organise themselves, but they are reverting to traditional analogue methods. Extinction Rebellion, a worldwide environmental conservation movement with the aim of using non-violent civil disobedience to compel governments into action, uses mass arrest as a tactic to achieve its goals. The movement even developed a very effective way of communicating within a crowd without using sound reinforcement - by popping up and then quickly leaving, too fast for the ‘slow’ digital equipment of the police. Within a few years, the popular kitchen table conversations of the PRL will be back…
This column is written à titre personnel and does not necessarily reflect the views of the NPCC board or its members.
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Contribution Embassy Bulletin NPCC E-mobility Mission With more than 203,000 electric cars and around 800 e-buses on the roads, combined with a dense and advanced network of almost 60,000 charging points, the Netherlands can be considered one of the frontrunners in e-mobility worldwide. To strengthen cooperation with Poland in this field, the Embassy organised an e-mobility fact-finding company mission to Poland on 3-4 February, together with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, the
Polish Alternative Fuels Association and the Netherlands-Polish Chamber of Commerce. The Dutch delegation, consisting of 11 companies and other bodies such as the Municipality of Utrecht, participated in various events like the Dutch E-mobility Day conference, roundtable discussions with Polish stakeholders, businessto business speed networking sessions and field trips to Warsaw’s public transport company and a Polish producer developing small „smart” electric city cars. Read more (in Dutch):
Rail cooperation Railways play a key role in the decarbonisation of the EU economy. The European Green Deal includes proposals for a radical shift from road to rail for both goods and passenger transport as a fundamental weapon against greenhouse gas emissions. The main goal of the Dutch business consortium ‘Linked by Rail’ was the dynamic development of intermodal transport between the Netherlands and Poland. Since 2012, the number of direct rail services has increased to 17 direct trains per week, with goods being transported by rail between several Dutch and Polish terminals: Moerdijk-Kąty Wrocławskie, Tilburg-Rzepin,
Rotterdam-Poznań and Rotterdam-Kutno. The project has contributed actively to the shifting of cargo from road to rail, thus reducing the number of trucks and additionally reducing CO2 emissions. Although the PIB ‘Linked by Rail’ project has been formally concluded, the Embassy will continue the good bilateral cooperation and will support initiatives in the field of sustainable railway transport. All interested companies are invited to join the next edition of the RailFreight Summit to be held in Poznań on 11-13 May 2020, offering all stakeholders an interesting programme and good networking possibilities.
Offshore wind energy Mission Offshore wind energy has great potential in Poland. Like all other EU Member States, Poland, which is still highly dependent on coal energy, is obliged to substantially increase the share of renewable energy in its energy mix. The development of offshore wind farms on the Baltic Sea is, in the Polish government’s view, one of the best options to achieve this. In order to strengthen Polish-Dutch cooperation in this field, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Warsaw and the Netherlands Wind Energy Association (NWEA), in close cooperation with the Polish Wind Energy
Association (PWEA), will organise a fact-finding Dutch company mission to Poland (Szczecin) between 20-22 April. After the visit to Poland, the participating Dutch companies and institutes will travel on to Lithuania for the second part of the trade mission.
Scientific panel on soil improvement In October 2019, the Embassy of the Netherlands launched a 1-year project aimed at improving the soil quality in Poland by informing stakeholders about the usage and implementation of sustainable agricultural technologies, including the use of organic fertilisers, soil improvers and precision farming technologies. On 29 January 2020, a scientific panel meeting was organised between Dutch experts on soil improvement and the development of knowledge modules (e-learning) on soil (AgriHolland and NCM) and representatives of Polish scientific institutions operating in the field of soil quality research (Warminsko-Mazurski University in Olsztyn, Poznań University of Life Sciences, University of Agriculture in Kraków and the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation in Puławy).
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All the Polish participants possessed considerable experience in conducting research into soil quality and the ways to improve it, and they agreed that an increase in soil organic matter through the use of organic fertilisers is necessary. They also see the need to disseminate this knowledge further and to look for methods to reach farmers as well as the younger generation. That is why they were very interested in creating an e-learning module that could be used widely, and why they were willing to participate in the development and testing of such a knowledge module throughout 2020. The aim is that the pre-PPS project will be followed by a 3-year public-private partnership between the Dutch government, Dutch knowledge institutions and companies which could share knowledge and innovation with Polish stakeholders. More info:
The Role and Impact of Dutch Studies in Poland In 2019 the Dutch Language Union (Taalunie) carried out research in Poland on the added value of Dutch language studies in Poland. This report showed that - besides the students themselves - the biggest beneficiaries of the studies are Polish, Dutch and Belgian companies. We present here an English summary of the report by Hubert Wolanin from the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. The full report is available in Dutch at: http://taalunieversum.org/publicaties/het-nederlands-internationaal-de-rolvan-het-nederlands-en-de-neerlandistiek-polen Contact details: • Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań: Mr. Jerzy Koch jkoch@wa.amu.edu.pl • University of Wrocław: Ms. Małgorzata Dowlaszewicz malgorzata.dowlaszewicz@uwr.edu.pl • John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin: Mr. Marcin Lipnicki marcin.lipnicki@kul.pl Courses in Dutch Studies are becoming increasingly popular in Poland. Many Polish high school graduates are choosing to study Dutch as they believe that a good command of this language will considerably increase their prospects of finding a well-paid job. Dutch is offered at six universities in Poland, with the three biggest departments located in Wrocław, Poznań and Lublin. From a worldwide perspective, the Dutch Studies courses in Poland are among the best-developed of those available, offering comprehensive curricula, attracting high numbers of students and contributing greatly to research on the Dutch language and the culture of the Low Countries. At present, more people are studying Dutch Studies in Wrocław than in Amsterdam and there are three times more candidates than available places. The graduates, in turn, contribute to the Dutch, Flemish and Polish economies by working in sectors such as trade and tourism. According to the Nederlandse Taalunie (NTU) report of 2019, Poland is an important export and import partner for the Low Countries. Apart from providing proficient speakers of Dutch who become valuable employees in the Dutch business environment, Dutch Studies courses create a positive image of the Low Countries, which in the long run also translates into good trade relations between the Netherlands, Flanders and Poland. In 2017, Poland was the sixth-largest country in terms of the total value of Dutch imports (at 8.1 billion euro), while in 2019 the Netherlands exported the value of 11.9 billion euro to Poland. In 2018, the Polish share in Flemish exports increased from 2% to 2.2%, making Poland the sixth-biggest export partner also for Flanders. It is likely that these figures will continue to grow in the coming years. Poland is an emerging market, which can be seen by the increasing number of companies viewed as promising partners. This is evident in the frequency of Dutch business trips to Poland, which rose by 21.5% in 2017. Each year, Poland is becoming increasingly popular as a business trip destination, occupying seventh place both in the Netherlands in 2017 and also in Belgium in 2016. A large number of Poles also go to the Low Countries for business purposes. As a consequence of the thriving trade between the Netherlands, Flanders and Poland, Dutch and Flemish enterprises often decide to establish subsidiaries in Poland. The most
Students and teachers from the Dutch language department celebrating the success of Dutch-Flemish Week in Poznań in 2019.
prominent examples of this trend include such companies as Philips, Shell, Heineken, Randstad, Nationale Nederlanden, ING Bank and Arcadis. A good command of the Dutch language and familiarity with its culture are essential for booming trade. Conversely, insufficiency in these areas may lead to misunderstandings and, consequently, significantly constrain potential gains. It can also hinder the identification of profitable new trade opportunities and lead to failed export contracts. This is a problem experienced by 11% of European companies, with 18% struggling with cultural differences in trade relations. The European economy loses roughly 100 billion euro a year due to faulty communication between export companies and their partners, whereas employing staff who speak a required language can help to significantly boost profits. Furthermore, according to the NTU research, clients generally prefer to be serviced in their native language. Therefore, Polish and Dutch language specialists support the development of trade by working in Dutch, Flemish and Polish enterprises. They are proficient in the language and they possess cultural knowledge, which is an invaluable asset in their work with clients and other trade partners. 73% of Dutch Studies graduates work in business as translators, interpreters, managers or customer service specialists. After graduating in Dutch Studies, about 90% of young people find a job within the first 6 months. The fact that their graduates are invariably successful in finding a well-paid job in Poland was highlighted by 83% of the academic teachers who participated in the NTU survey. The great demand for Dutchspeaking employees on the Polish job market means, on the one hand, that they are important for the Polish economy and also, on the other hand, that by working for export companies and strengthening trade relations, they are contributing directly to the Dutch and Flemish economies. The gain is therefore mutual. Another sector that benefits greatly from Dutch Studies courses in Poland is tourism. In 2017, over 175,000 Polish tourists visited the Netherlands. In 2016 they spent nearly 637 million euro during their holidays in the Netherlands, which constituted the fourth-largest income stream for the Dutch tourist sector. Knowledge of foreign languages is essential in this branch, which is experiencing constant growth of around 7% per year in Europe. Polish graduates meet the expectations of travel operators as they can master not only English but also other foreign languages, Dutch included. According to the NTU research, many travel agencies believe that hiring staff that can help customers in their mother tongue is extremely valuable as it increases trust.
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New members of
the Netherlands-Polish Chamber of Commerce
Work Room Sp. z o.o. Work Room is a job agency which has been supporting companies from Poland and Europe (Germany, Netherlands, Norway) and providing them with HR services for many years. Our main advantages are our engagement and persistence, which help us to provide the best quality service for our clients. Thanks to our experience and knowledge, we know precisely how to resolve any Human Resources issues. WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT? We are a member of Stowarzyszenie Agencji Zatrudnienia, the largest organisation of employment agencies in Poland. • Providing the highest quality service for our clients • Professional recruitment • Sourcing and hiring the most qualified candidates • Professional representation of the client’s brand • Focus on development and pursuit of our goals • Our recruiters are experienced in the areas in which they recruit • Use of different tools to find the best candidate and then to select the best of the best • Excellent knowledge of the market and all current trends • OUR SCOPE OF SERVICES: • Recruitment • Job legalisation audits • Head hunting • Employees for replacement • Deputizing employees abroad • Trainings • Work Room Sp. z o.o. Chłodna 51, 00-867 Warsaw, 48 22 48 79 097 biuro@workroom.com.pl, www.workroom.com.pl
WM WORKEU SP. Z O.O. We have been recruiting workers from former Soviet-bloc countries for several years now. We do this through a network of proven partners in all major cities in Ukraine, and also through our Ukrainian company founded specifically for this purpose which has offices in Kiev and Lviv. We provide both specialists and people without qualifications depending on our clients’ needs and requirements in all sectors of the economy, including construction, energy, agriculture and the health sector, etc. Our clients range from SMEs to public limited companies and also international groups such as Volkswagen Group. What distinguishes our company is the long-term approach we adopt both in our relationships with employers in the EU and the employees from Eastern Europe. Through our direct experience and knowledge of the market conditions, we are able to manage the expectations of the workers and tailor them to meet the needs of the employers. Depending on the needs of our clients, we offer constructive and flexible solutions in the area of human resources. WM Workeu Sp. z o.o. Pamiątkowa 2, 61-512 Poznań, 48 605 455 502
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XTL Consulting XTL Consulting provides hands-on consultancy in the transportation and logistics field, for shippers or carriers, small company or large enterprise. It offers the following services: Logistics process optimisation: XTL Consulting can do a quick audit and indicate where the opportunities for improvement are and what the costs and benefits are. Logistics systems: The selection and implementation of a TMS/ WMS system can be very complicated, time-consuming and costly. XTL Consulting can help with the selection and implementation of the system that best fits your needs. Tender process: Tender processes for 3PL services or transportation are complex and can have a big impact on the functioning of your logistics operations. XTL Consulting helps customers to prepare, execute and implement professional tenders. Benchmarking: Benchmarking is a process of measuring the performance of a company’s products, services, or processes against those of another business considered to be the best in the industry. XTL Consulting Teokryta 25, 60-461 Poznan, 48 731 178 171 www.xtlconsulting.com
NGL Legal NGL Legal (NGL Wiater sp.k.) is a dynamic Polish law firm with offices in Warsaw and Poznań offering comprehensive legal services for Polish and foreign businesses. We provide our clients with innovative and effective solutions that take into account the dynamically changing business and legal environment and the challenges faced by entrepreneurs at both a local and global level. Our team consists of over 45 lawyers and tax advisors, who have gained their experience in leading international and Polish law firms, as well as in the Big Four firms. NGL Legal offers the full spectrum of legal services, including corporate M&A, capital markets, restructuring & insolvency, regulatory, banking and finance, litigation and arbitration, energy, employment, real estate, white-collar crime and cybersecurity, anti-trust, state aid and tax. Our teams have developed sector knowledge, following the principle that a good advisor should understand the client’s business in order to come up with effective solutions and utilise the client’s time most productively. NGL Legal Koszykowa 61B, 00-667 Warsaw, 48 22 378 75 75 www.ngllegal.com
Łukasz Chodkowski
Managing Director, Déhora Poland
Five-star employer? Dare to get rated We are increasingly using mobile apps installed on our phones to make life easier. Frankly, I cannot even recall the last time I called a cab. Now, after each trip, I’m asked a question: Were you satisfied with your ride? Sure – five stars out of five. Were you dissatisfied with your hotel? Was it not clean enough? That’s true, it could have been better – rating: 3 stars. Easy, right? Not quite. After all, it would be unwise to expect a rating that is impulsive by definition to also be reliable and generated without emotion. What does it mean that the ride was satisfactory? Does it mean that the driver got you to the train station on time despite numerous blatant violations of the road traffic regulations? Perhaps the hotel room was clean, but an argument with your employer made you angry and that’s why you gave it 3 stars. By the way, few people know that just as we rate our drivers, they also, in turn, rate us… But let’s start at the beginning… It would actually be very difficult to determine the exact moment where rating everything became the norm. In Poland, the beginning of rating things can be traced back to the boom of the largest online auction platform – Allegro. The rating system itself at that time was simple, clear and transparent. On the most basic level, the rating system could be summarised as follows: you are an honest seller/ buyer, you receive a comment and a rating: positive, neutral or negative. Most likely, each of us has at some point written something like: I recommend this user! However, it seems that we have failed to notice a very important phenomenon, and we are not yet fully aware of its social consequences. We have become used to our applications, we crave likes on social media, and we have failed to notice that booking systems such as AirBnB or Booking.com, as well as Uber, BlaBlaCar or other mobile platforms that connect service providers with customers who need those services, such as UpWork, actually request a lot more than
just our rating. Most importantly, it is a brilliant business model using a simple method to engage us, the users, in order to save plenty of money that would otherwise have to be spent on hordes of qualified employees to rate the service quality. Can you imagine an annual employee evaluation of Uber drivers? No need, they are rated routinely. Naturally, we appreciate this solution because a large number of stars makes it easier for us to buy things or to book a specific hotel. After all, once we have booked our room, we don’t want to be driven there by a driver who has less than 4.5 stars. And just when we started to believe that we are already rating everything and everyone, Uber has now started testing a new application in Chicago to connect employees with employers – Uber Works. Employers, are you ready for this? It seems that everything has already been written about how we are now dealing with an employee’s market and how difficult it is for employers, not just in Poland. The record-low unemployment rate, multi-generational mix and internationalisation of the labour market are combined with an increase in labour costs and unyielding competition for the best employees. However, I am convinced that we are about to witness a tremendous cultural change. Firstly, the low unemployment rate and shortage of workers are putting significant pressure on wages. Secondly, the rising wages will – much sooner than we might expect – make a large portion of the working population ready to seek employment on a part-time basis. This is something that companies in Poland are neither culturally nor organisationally ready to handle. This is no longer science fiction. Pretty soon, mobile apps that connect employees with employers will replace employment contracts. A company that is not ready for a cultural and organisational transformation that enables it to offer increased flexibility of employment will not be the first choice for anyone who desires greater freedom in their work-time scheduling and expects to have even more free time. What, then, should HR departments regard as their most important challenge in 2020? A five-star rating and the comment: I recommend this employer!
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NL IN BUSINESS Introduction NLinBusiness Last September, the NPCC officially joined the network of NL Business Hubs. The NPCC Warsaw is now, as the third NL Business Hub, officially part of the worldwide network of NL Business Hubs. NLinBusiness – initiated by the Confederation of Dutch Business, VNO-NCW & MKB-Nederland – supports Dutch companies in their international expansion. We are therefore currently building a strong global network of NL Business Hubs in 40 specifically selected Cities of Opportunity to support Dutch companies in their growth strategies. These hubs will enable Dutch entrepreneurs to kick-start a local operation. As a result, conducting international business should be as easy as growing your business in The Netherlands. We currently have a network of NL Business Hubs around the world in Munich, London, Antwerp, Warsaw, Dubai, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok,
Europe Munich | Antwerp | Berlin | Hamburg | Düsseldorf | Paris | Lyon | London | Manchester-Liverpool | Warsaw | Milan | Kiev | Bucharest | Istanbul | Moscow
Asia / Middle East Guangzhou | Shanghai | Hong Kong | Tokyo | Ho Chi Minh | Bangkok | Singapore | Kuala Lumpur | Jakarta | Dubai | Mumbai | Seoul | Manila | Dhaka
North and South America New York | Chicago | Houston | San Francisco | São Paulo | Mexico City | Buenos Aires | Bogotá | Panama | Santiago de Chile
Africa Tangier | Cairo | Lagos | Nairobi
Kuala Lumpur, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Mexico City, Panama, Chile, São Paolo and Bogotá. The NL Business Hub network will grow to 40 hubs around the world in 2023.
Meet the team - International Business Managers Poland The online platform of NLinBusiness.com will provide you with all sorts of information about doing business internationally. There are useful market reports, inspiring interviews with entrepreneurs that have made the journey and also tips & tricks on doing business in a specific country. We also provide you with the most important events and workshops so you can find the right people to do business with.
What can NLinBusiness do for you? The International Business Managers of NLinBusiness guide entrepreneurs through their international journey. They offer entrepreneurs online and offline support together with our NL Business Hubs and by the online platform.
Do you need contacts or help with accessing the Polish market or new markets in our network? We will gladly connect you to other entrepreneurs via our NL Business Hub Network. Please do not hesitate to contact us! Annemarie Dijkman – annemarie@nlinbusiness.com Annelot van Rigteren – annelot@nlinbusiness.com
Events & Activities On Monday 9 March, the NLGroeit platform will broadcast, in cooperation with NLinBusiness and ING, an online Groeimasters masterclass about “Succesfully doing business in Poland”. In this episode, two Dutch entrepreneurs who are already succesfully active on the Polish market and Elro van den Burg (NPCC) will share their knowledge on, among other things, the economic forecast, finance, cultural differences and the dos and don’ts of doing business in Poland. To watch the full episode, please subscribe on the website: https://www.groeimasters.nl/masterclasses/succesvol-ondernemen-inpolen/ Do you want to know more about NLinBusiness and our business activities in Poland? Go to our platform: www.nlinbusiness.com
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Online masterclass Groeimasters – NLinBusiness & ING
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5 reasons to consider
SPONSORED ARTICLE
leasing a car for your business
Looking at car finance options, you might think that leasing is only for large companies running big vehicle fleets. But it’s not. Any type of business, large or small, can benefit from it. Is vehicle leasing right for you? Here are 5 reasons why you should consider leasing a vehicle for your business. 1. Value for money Buying your own car or van requires a hefty upfront investment without any guarantee you will save on your bottom line. Leasing means you get a new, reliable vehicle, for a set period of time, at a fixed monthly fee. In other words, you don’t need to find or use capital to fund your company car! What’s more, leasing a car is generally cheaper than buying one. Think of the services, residual value, interest, taxes and insurance that is included in your lease – you get value for money. 2. Peace of mind, in one package Leasing lets you choose a contract that covers all your car’s maintenance and servicing, so the annual check-up, tyre replacements, repairs, and roadside assistance are all included in the package. Leasing keeps your company moving, and it takes away all the hassle and administration tasks related to your car, which means that you can have the peace of mind you need to focus on your core business. And when it’s time to hand back the keys, you don’t have to worry about selling or trading the car. The leasing company takes on that risk for you.
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3. Tailor-made solutions Whether you’re growing your team and need more cars, or simply need the predictability of a fixed-monthly fee, leasing gives you flexibility, scalability and control - invaluable assets in an uncertain future. You choose the term, tailor your contract to your budget and needs, and then focus on what’s next for your business. 4. Brand-new makes and models Leasing allows you to select your new vehicle from a wide range of the very latest makes and models, and to find the best deals. You benefit from the reliability, durability and exceptional fuel economy of driving a new car with all the latest tech and new innovations. This lowers your costs and makes your car less exposed to the maintenance and performance issues that appear as a vehicle ages. 5. Driving for business and private Your new lease vehicle won’t only help you drive your business, but it can also get you and your family wherever you need to go. With the range of services included in your leasing contract, you can rest assured you’re always covered on business trips or family vacations. Whether you are an SME business owner, an independent professional or an entrepreneur, leasing gives you the peace of mind you need to focus on what’s next for your business. Your leasing package is tailored to your budget and needs, including the right car, a full range of services and support. Leave the hassle to the leasing company and simply enjoy the ride! Want to learn more? Discover our best deals on www.leaseplan.com
Column Remco van der Kroft Advocaat (Dutch licensed lawyer) and partner of Olczak-Klimek Van der Kroft Węgiełek
March of 1000 Robes – a day to remember On 11 January, I once again took to the streets of Warsaw to demonstrate against the so-called “reforms” to the Polish justice system. When I learned that foreign judges would be joining their Polish counterparts to protest against the so-called ‘muzzle law’ that will allow the Ministry of Justice to punish judges that do not cooperate with the reforms, I called the embassy to find out if any Dutch judges would join us. An hour or so later, I was on the phone to Ronald Philippart, president of the Court of Appeal in Den Bosch. On Friday evening I met up with five members of the Dutch delegation in Hala Koszyki (I felt I also had to positively impress them with Warsaw somehow), including Tamara Trotman, a judge at The Hague’s Court of Appeal and president of Judges for Judges, an organisation that supports oppressed judges all over the world. Although the group was surprisingly well informed about the situation regarding the Polish legal system, I believe that I was able to give them some more background. The next day, I was invited to join a meeting of the First President of the Supreme Court, Małgorzata Gersdorf, with the delegations of foreign judges in the building of the Supreme Court. After the speeches by Professor Gersdorf and Professor Krystian Markiewicz, president of Iustitia, an organisation of Polish judges, thanking the foreign judges for their backing, the members of the foreign delegations also gave brief speeches expressing their continued support. Marc Fierstra, a member of the Netherlands Supreme Court, spoke on behalf of the Netherlands. The Dutch delegation in total consisted of 11 judges and a public prosecutor. A letter was read out on behalf of a Turkish judge who expressed his regret that he could not join in as he was currently imprisoned as a result of the “reforms” in his own country. Then the foreign judges were interviewed by representatives of the Polish and international press. The Dutch press included all the main newspapers, Volkskrant, NRC, Trouw, Telegraaf and FD, the financial newspaper. This is a fact often downplayed by the Polish government, but undermining the independence of the justice system is of great interest to (potential) foreign investors, i.e. FD’s readership, and according to some it has already negatively affected direct foreign investment.
The Dutch judges explained to the press that this was not a political march but a protest in defence of the independence of the entire European justice system. Recent cases in which Irish and Dutch courts have refused to extradite subjects to Poland show how important an independent Polish court system is for judges in other European countries. It seems only a matter of time until someone successfully prevents the execution of a Polish court verdict in another European country based on the fact that it is “manifestly contrary to public policy” (article 45.1 of the European Convention on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters). With all the doubts raised by the European Court of Justice about the current state of the Polish justice system, it is not so far-fetched to imagine that the public policy exemption could be successfully invoked. After the interviews, the moment came to go outside. Each of the foreign and Polish judges had to decide whether to just carry their robes or to wear them. The Polish judges that were with us in the Supreme Court put their robes on first, followed by the Dutch, Belgian, Czech and Italian delegations. Others, such as the French and the Germans, decided to join in without official attire. We left the Supreme Court through the back entrance to appear in Plac Krasińskich in dramatic fashion. The foreign delegations appeared in a procession reminiscent of the opening ceremony of the Olympics from underneath the green columns behind the Uprising monument. Judge Lydia van Heuveling van Beek held up a sign saying “The Netherlands”. The moment we appeared in the square, the Polish judges, lawyers and the general public started cheering and chanting “dziękujemy”. As one of the judges said to a journalist from Volkskrant, “It felt like being greeted as a liberator.” During the walk from Plac Krasińskich, along Krakowskie Przedmieście, Nowy Świat, Plac Trzech Krzyży and al. Ujazdowskie to the square in front of the Polish parliament, all the way guided by the Christmas lights, people came up to the Dutch delegation to say thanks (sometimes even in Dutch) and to take selfies with Marc Fierstra in his Supreme Court judge’s cap. None of the Dutch judges had imagined anything like this. According to city hall estimates, there were between 25 and 30 thousand people out on the streets supporting Polish judges. If nothing else, the presence of the foreign delegations and all these people has given the Polish judges strength for their struggle against government intervention. It was definitely a day to remember. Events since the march have underlined what is at stake. The muzzle law has entered into force but even before that a disobedient judge was demoted and his salary cut in half. The Supreme Court issued a joint decision by the combined Civil, Criminal and Labour Chambers, stating that the judges appointed by the new politicised Council of the Judiciary are not allowed to issue court judgments. The next day, the Minister of Justice stated that this decision of the Supreme Court was invalid (based on what?) and the Marshal of the Sejm asked the politically-controlled Constitutional Court to take action. The European Court of Justice, in the meantime, is looking for a temporary measure to halt the application of the muzzle law, and we simple lawyers and citizens are no longer sure whether the court that is dealing with our case is even authorised to do so.
This column is written à titre personnel and does not necessarily reflect the views of the NPCC board or its members.
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