The Warsaw Voice magazine, Spring 2021 May 24, issue 1225

Spring 2021 No. 1225

Poland’s Political Puzzle Page 3

Focus on Poland | Published since 1988

Jarosław Gowin: Unpredictable Ally Page 6

To Meet or Not to Meet?

Page 20

ISSN 0860-7591

National Recovery or Discord Plan?

The channel being dug through the Vistula Spit, which is to connect the Vistula Lagoon with the Baltic Sea, is one of the flagship investments of the ruling coalition of Polish right-wing parties.

Pages 14-17

This publication is part of The Warsaw Voice Multimedia Platform in Poland

www.warsawvoice.pl

Table of contents POLITICS AND SOCIETY Poland’s Political Puzzle Jarosław Gowin: Unpredictable Ally Daniel Obajtek: A Dazzling Career The End of The Ombudsman?

3-5 6-7 8-9 10-11

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Effective Alliance or Political Bluff?

12-13

ECONOMY National Recovery Plan European Anti-Doping

14-15 16-17

BUSINESS 150 Years of Innovation To Meet or Not to Meet?

18-19 20-21

REAL ESTATE Business Returns to Offices 22-23 COVID-19 Pandemic As a Milestone for the Office Market?

24-25 Reshuffles in Poland’s Retail Market 26-27 Mennica Legacy Towers Wins The European Property Awards 28-29

SOCIETY

BUTIK | 32 MOTO New Cars of 2021

33-39

GREAT GEAR | 40-41 ”Zawisza Czarny” - Polpora Watch Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX Continental EcoContact6 Summer Tire MiVue 866 - car cam first with speeding information realme 8 - also for gamers

IN BRIEF| 42-43 Innogy Go! Closes Its Operations Kia Up Prologis - at Steady Level Event Industry About Return to Normality

THE BUZZ | 44-46 Jan Cybis - Master of Color Cold Revolution From a Different Angle Masterpieces From the Vatican at Warsaw’s Royal Castle

SPORTS Polish Tennis Star Wins Again

47

Mercedes Supports Women in High-Tech Industry 30-31

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POLITICS AND SOCIETY

POLAND’S POLITICAL PUZZLE Dr. Jarosław Flis, a political scientist from Jagiellonian University, talks to Witold Żygulski.

F

n recent weeks, the ruling coalition of Law and Justice (PiS), United Poland and Accord has been shaken by more and more conflicts; is the United Right still united?

The situation in the coalition looks much better than a month ago. Some compromises have been made; it seems that the leaders of the three parties - Jarosław Kaczyński, Zbigniew Ziobro and Jarosław Gowin - have started to talk to one another in a matter-of-fact and serious way. It is not clear, however, whether this is not just a temporary ceasefire, or whether we are dealing with a new strategic agreement. Conflicts are likely to recur.

The main question is whether Kaczyński will want the three parties to continue to go together, running from the same electoral lists. It is a fundamental issue; if one wants to gain a majority in the future parliament, one can-

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SIX YEARS, GOWIN HAS OSTENTATIOUSLY UNDERMINED THE DOGMA OF THE INFALLIBILITY OF THE LEADER OF THE RIGHT WING. The Warsaw Voice

not allow “spoilers” to appear, as they say in the United States, namely situations in which a small grouping from the same political stream runs independently, does not get into the parliament, but steals valuable votes from the large party.

Let’s remember what happened in 2011, when the Polska Jest Najważniejsza (Poland Is Most Important, PJN) party, which was formed by former PiS activists, broke away from the right wing. If the just over 2 percent of votes that the PJN got at that time had become part of the spoils of PiS, the Civic Platform (PO) and the Polish People Party (PSL) would not have had the majority and would probably not have been able to take the helm of the government effectively.

Today, after a difficult electoral victory in 2019, PiS finds itself in a much more complicated situation than after its first election win in 2015. The Kukiz’15 grouping, which Kaczyński seems to have counted on to help him maintain his lead in parliament, has gone awry.

The ruling coalition’s advantage in the Sejm is now very small. If it loses it, it will lose power. There is no reserve, no group of MPs who can support the United Right in key votes. Every conflict, every insubordination within its own ranks means serious trouble.

Moreover, past experience shows that the PiS leader starts making political mistakes the moment he feels too confident. When he realizes that he has overreached himself, he returns to a rational way of doing politics, but only until he achieves his immediate goals again and gains self-confidence. Such mood swings of Poland’s most influential politician today do not bode well for the governing system he created.

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from the fact, and this must be noted with sadness, that Kaczyński has no clue about how to manage the country, he does not realize that it cannot be managed like his own parliamentary caucus or a bunch of supporters chanting “Jarosław! Save Poland!”

For the first time in six years, Gowin has ostentatiously undermined the dogma of the infallibility of the leader of the right wing. Without a doubt, this will be held against him forever, he will never be considered one of their own again.

With the possible change of the ruling team, there might soon be serious consequences - including legal ones - for many in the current apparatus of power, including the top person. Although representatives of this team believe that they will avoid personal responsibility as they did in 2007 [the end of the previous PiS government], I would not be so sure. The last scandal connected with the so-called “envelope election” [an attempt to organize a postal presidential election in May last year] makes your hair stand on end.

The report of the Supreme Audit Office, which has only just seen the light of day, shows beyond any doubt that everyone, including the most important advisors and legislative experts, told PM Morawiecki that holding such an election had no legal basis, and yet 70 million zlotys from state coffers was spent on it. Let us add that the vote did not take place anyway. This is because it was opposed, inside the coalition, by Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Gowin.

In your opinion, what are the most significant problems of the coalition today?

For many months the actions of the three coalition parties have resembled the “good cop, bad cop” tactic known from crime movies. But we know very well that for such tactics to work, first of all you need trust between these policemen and awareness of having a common goal. They all need to be willing to compromise instead of trying to get their way.

Zbigniew Ziobro, the leader of United Poland and at the same time the minister of justice in the current government and also the prosecutor general, a representative of the most radical, hardest right-wing trend, does not recognize any compromises. He has a huge grudge against Kaczyński for backing Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, whom, which is no secret, Ziobro considers his worst enemy.

Moreover, in recent years the justice minister has become known mainly by the fact that nothing works out for him. On ranking lists of politicians who are least trusted by the citizens, he constantly comes last. He has effectively alienated practically the entire judicial community, even those judges who previously shunned politics, stood aside and did not comment on the ministry’s actions. His only “success” is effective control over prosecutors so that they target political opponents, without touching people associated with the ruling camp.

It is a little different with Jarosław Gowin, deputy prime minister and the minister heading the key economic department, leader of the Accord party. He has simply offended Kaczyński, proving more than once that not everything that the PiS leader comes up with has to come true. This stems 4

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GENERALLY SPEAKING, ONE CAN SEE THAT PIS’S ADVANTAGE IN THE POLLS RESULTS MAINLY FROM THE RIGHT WING’S ABILITY TO IRRITATE THE OPPOSITION, SO THAT ITS REPRESENTATIVES LET THEMSELVES BE PROVOKED INTO MAKING FOOLISH STATEMENTS, WHICH PIS POLITICIANS THEN MAKE SURE TO POINT OUT Do you think that the loss of power by the PiS camp is a foregone conclusion?

I have been observing the Polish political scene for many years and I have heard many predictions of a long-lasting monopoly of power for one dominating party or another.

Leszek Miller [prime minister in 2001-2004, leader of the Democratic Left Alliance] was supposed to be a “chancellor” equal to Helmut Kohl, Donald Tusk [prime minister The Warsaw Voice

In matters of internal, regional politics, a curious situation has recently arisen; ahead of the mayoral election in The Warsaw Voice

Rzeszów, the opposition is fielding a common candidate, while the coalition is fielding two...

Polls indicate that the opposition candidate will win, and this will be another lesson in humility for the right wing, similar to the 2018 local elections in which it suffered a severe defeat. It seemingly raised its hold on municipal governments (by just a little over 2 percent, from 7.5 to 9.5 percent), but lost almost everything in cities, especially the larger ones. In the elections for mayors of 10 large cities where PiS representatives had governed since 2014, the right wing kept its candidate in office in just one: Stalowa Wola.

However, it should not be forgotten that this harsh lesson from the 2018 local elections was not ignored. A year later, the right wing won decisively in both the parliamentary and the European elections. Losing in Rzeszów might therefore prove equally instructive. PiS will perhaps be able to show its two coalition partners that if they go alone to any election, only a heavy defeat can await them.

POLITICS AND SOCIETY

in 2007-2014 and the then leader of the PO] argued that “there is no one to lose to” in the elections. Today the prospect of PiS retaining power is equally unlikely, at least looking at the polls. Meanwhile, in practice, only a few, maybe a little more votes from the ranks of Gowin’s Alliance are needed for Kaczyński to lose control over the Sejm. In the Senate, the opposition already has a small but effective advantage.

Of course PiS can avoid such a scenario, but something spectacular would have to happen, for example a change of the leader to someone who will be able to hold a dialogue with the opposition instead of calling its politicians “treacherous faces” from the Sejm podium. Or, for example, getting the deputy leader of the party and the speaker of the Sejm, Ryszard Terlecki, to keep a low profile; his every utterance about any political opponent is an insult and fuels the fire of every conflict, external or internal within the right.

Generally speaking, one can see that PiS’s advantage in the polls results mainly from the right wing’s ability to irritate the opposition, so that its representatives let themselves be provoked into making foolish statements, which PiS politicians then make sure to point out. The opposition’s own ideas are becoming seriously lacking.

Over the past five years, most of PiS’s announcements about building a new, better country have turned out to be fiction. The declaration that the right wing is crystal clear and is not interested in nepotism (which supposedly characterized the PO, as PiS claimed) is a mockery; the number of people who have found lucrative positions at state-owned companies as friends of PiS activists or members of their families is a subject of daily media reports.

Of course, the United Right has also done things that have won it supporters, although they can be criticized from an economic point of view - raising the minimum wage, increasing pensions, social programs for families, a return to the lower retirement age. For the poorer part of society these things are still of great importance, which is reflected in polls. But, for example, the promised equalization of opportunities for young people to obtain an education is going poorly, and the appointment of Przemysław Czarnek to head the Ministry of Education and Science is probably the worst staffing idea in the history of this coalition. His every statement, idea or decision can only evoke laughter or the proverbial gnashing of teeth. A minister who proposes that Poland should become the world leader in one science - biblical studies - is something truly bizarre.

Similarly, the reform of the healthcare system is going poorly, which is particularly evident today because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but perhaps, paradoxically, this time will serve this reform well; there are already small, but nevertheless signs of this.

The situation is also poor in foreign policy. The Polish government is increasingly involved in conflicts with the European Union, the idea of backing closer relations with the UK did not work out, and the manifestation of support for Donald Trump can be left without comment. The same goes for alliances with European politicians who are closer to Vladimir Putin than to Brussels, such as Viktor Orban.

FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING, THE LEFT WOULD GLADLY CREATE A NEW LIBERAL PROPOSAL WITH THE PO, PROVIDED THAT THE LATTER WOULD CUT OFF ITS CONSERVATIVE WING And what is the condition of the opposition today? Despite repeated declarations of joint action, the recent example of the Left and PiS voting together on the European reconstruction program gives little cause for optimism about the prospects for unity among the right wing’s opponents.

The opposition has obvious difficulties with forming itself together into a coherent whole. There are simply many groups with often strongly differing views on most areas of life and the functioning of the state. Figuratively speaking, the Left would gladly create a new liberal proposal with the PO, provided that the latter would cut off its conservative wing. In turn, the agrarian Polish People’s Party (PSL) would gladly invite the PO to join a conservative, centrist and Christian block, but only if its left wing were cut off.

The PO remains the biggest opposition party, governs in half of the provinces and all the biggest cities, and does not intend to split into two parties. The problem is whether and how it should re-identify itself on the political scene.

After all, voters voted for the PO as a whole, not for the views of one group of its leaders or another.

The opposition seems to be united mainly by PiS; for example, the desire to stop PiS caused an actual unification of the opposition in the Senate.

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JAROSŁAW GOWIN: UNPREDICTABLE ALLY

„None of us is thinking about early elections - our coalition is not threatened in any way,” Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Gowin, leader of the Porozumienie (Accord) party, partner of the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party under Jarosław Kaczyński and the other minority coalition partner, Solidarna Polska (United Poland) under Zbigniew Ziobro, said in late April.

However, knowing Gowin’s long political past, many politicians from both the opposition and the right-wing camps doubt the complete sincerity of his statements.

I

n the last few weeks the leaders of the United Right have spoken time and again about a serious crisis in the coalition. Their statements have inflamed the disputes rather than trying to ease the situation.

In one interview, Gowin himself emphasized that both Accord and United Poland accept the leading role of PiS in the coalition, but they expect the PiS side to show “respect towards the coalition partners.”

“Today we have a choice: either we reach an agreement or we will face early elections within a year. I believe that we will manage to reach an agreement, but everyone must take a step back,” the politician said.

At the beginning of February there was a sharp internal conflict in the Accord party over leadership. Adam Bielan, a prominent politician within the party, tried to lead a coup and strip Gowin of his leadership position. He justified the need for a change at the top by referring to the party’s statutes, which, according to Bielan, precluded Gowin’s further leadership. In his opinion, one of the formal requirements was not met and the term of office of the current party leader had expired.

GOWIN CLAIMED THAT “GERMAN SCIENTISTS IMPORT EMBRYOS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES - PROBABLY INCLUDING POLAND - AND CONDUCT EXPERIMENTS ON THEM” 6

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However, the ambitious young politician underestimated Gowin’s strength. As a result, the authors of the would-be coup, including Bielan himself, were expelled from the party.

It was no secret to anyone closely observing the Polish political scene that the attempt to deprive Gowin of influence in his party was the result of the actions of PiS politicians, probably Jarosław Kaczyński himself, who has been trying to limit the ambitious deputy prime minister’s influence for a long time. After Bielan’s defeat, the PiS leader did not dismiss three other rebels, who had lost Gowin’s recommendation, from the coalition cabinet. To this day, this remains a bone of contention in the difficult Kaczyński-Gowin relationship.

Just a few years ago, Gowin became famous for his statement after a tense parliamentary vote, when a bill urged by PiS was criticized by his party. The deputy prime minister stated that he had “voted for [the coalition’s bill] but was not happy about it.” These words, according to many politicians of the United Right and the opposition, perfectly reflect Gowin’s unpredictability. During his long career, he has made unexpected political alliances and sat in governments formed by opposing parties and coalitions.

Born in 1961 in Kraków, a graduate of Jagiellonian University and Cambridge University, Gowin began his career as an editor of the conservative Catholic magazine Znak (1994-2005).

In the 2005 parliamentary elections he was elected to the Senate, having run, to the astonishment of right-wing politicians and commentators, on behalf of the liberal Civic Platform (PO), then in power and in the opposition since 2015.

Between 2011 and 2013, Gowin went further: he became minister of justice in the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, leader of the PO-Polish People’s Party (PSL) coalition. After PiS won the 2015 elections, however, this did not prevent him from taking the portfolio of minister of science The Warsaw Voice

The Warsaw Voice

PO. He soon formed his own political party called Polska Razem (Poland Together) and began working with PiS as part of the United Right.

On Oct. 13, 2017, Gowin announced at a press conference that Poland Together would be transformed into a new party. At a congress held on Nov. 4, the name of the new party, Porozumienie (Accord), was revealed.

Gowin’s activity in the United Right confirmed his reputation as an unpredictable politician, not shying away from sudden about-turns and surprising ideas for his allies. In April 2020, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Accord leadership strongly opposed the efforts of the rest of the government coalition to hold timely presidential elections in spring 2020. The Accord group demanded a postponement of the elections and an amendment to the Constitution so that Andrzej Duda’s presidential term would be extended by two years, but without the possibility of subsequent re-election.

In the absence of political support for the postponement from other parliamentary caucuses, Gowin announced his resignation from his ministerial post, at the same time pledging his will to maintain the coalition.

A year ago, on May 6, Gowin and Jarosław Kaczyński finally reached an agreement on postponing the election of the head of state. This compromise, however, by no means raised the former’s ratings in the right-wing camp. To this day, he is treated, especially by senior PiS activists, as a partner who cannot be counted on.

In recent weeks, information about Gowin’s alleged behind-the-scenes contacts with representatives of the opposition, even with representatives of the Left, who have completely different views and political programs, has been appearing systematically. Officially, everyone - including Gowin himself - denies that any talks actually took place.

However, the statements of many politicians from PiS and United Poland seem to suggest that Gowin’s political position is very difficult to define. It is worth noting that without the votes of the Accord group, the ruling right wing might lose the possibility to control the situation in the Sejm and to keep a stable majority in votes. Therefore, journalists are outdoing one another in speculating how Accord and its leader will behave in one political dispute or another.

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POLITICS AND SOCIETY

and higher education in Mateusz Morawiecki’s government, where he later became minister of economic development, labor and technology. He has always enjoyed the rank of deputy prime minister.

While still in the PO-PSL government, Gowin quickly gained a reputation as a political troublemaker, often expressing opinions contrary to the PO and government agenda. As one of the most socially conservative cabinet members, Gowin became the center of several inter-party disputes that distanced him from the government. In October 2012, Gowin abstained from voting on the government’s opposition to a tougher abortion law tabled in the Sejm by United Poland.

Also in October, Gowin expressed surprise and dismay at PM Tusk’s decision to increase funding, without changing the current law, for in vitro fertilization for couples (married or not) who had been trying to have a child for over a year.

He regretted then that the prime minister had not consulted the Ministry of Justice about the matter, but instead referred it to the Ministry of Health. Gowin’s earlier bill would have only given IVF treatment to married women.

PM Tusk’s February 2013 decision to push through the legalization of civil unions for heterosexual and homosexual couples further split Gowin from the then prime minister and cabinet, with the justice minister leading 46 PO deputies who opposed the government bill. There was speculation at the time that Tusk would fire Gowin from the cabinet, but the prime minister ultimately decided to keep the minister.

During an interview in April 2013, when asked to explain his opposition to increased funding for IVF, Gowin claimed that “German scientists import embryos from other countries - probably including Poland - and conduct experiments on them.” The minister’s comments sparked a minor diplomatic row with Germany, where the German embassy in Warsaw stressed that it had no confirmed information about the use of Polish embryos within Germany’s borders.

A week after the diplomatic dispute, PM Tusk dismissed Gowin from the government, insisting that “Gowin focused too much on the political aspect of his job.”

After an unsuccessful internal election in which the Kraków politician tried to replace Tusk as party head, in September 2013 Gowin announced that he was leaving the

7

DANIEL OBAJTEK: A DAZZLING CAREER Within 15 years, despite the lack of a relevant education or business experience, a 45-year-old local government activist from the locality of Pcim near Kraków (population approx.

5,000) turned into a leading Polish manager, president of one of the largest companies owned by the Polish state, i.e. fuel giant PKN Orlen. Along the way to this success, he served as president of other government-controlled entities: the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARiMR) and the energy company Energa S.A.

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oliticians from the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party led by Jarosław Kaczyński have presented Obajtek as the hope of Polish business and Poland in general; according to unofficial information, he was even considered as a candidate for the position of the future head of government. In recent weeks, however, some disturbing cracks have appeared in his ideal image, which may affect not only his career but also the ruling party’s ratings.

Daniel Obajtek was born in 1976 in Myślenice. He attended the veterinary technical school at the Agricultural School Complex in Nowy Targ, from which he was expelled, and then the agricultural technical school in Myślenice. In 2014 he graduated with a master’s degree in environmental protection from one of Poland’s less reputed universities.

From 2002 to 2006 he was a member of the Pcim Commune Council, and from 2006 to 2015 served as the locality’s borough leader.

In the middle of the first decade of the 21st century, Obajtek entered politics, becoming a committed activist of the PiS party, organizing party structures in his region.

To this day, PiS politicians still tell an anecdote according to which the future president of Orlen had problems with getting to one of the party congresses because his car broke down. However, Obajtek did not give up and hitchhiked to the place, as witnesses say, arriving soaked and cold. It was then that Jarosław Kaczyński first appreciated this local government leader, previously unknown in the party’s decision-making circles. Since then, Obajtek’s career has skyrocketed.

After PiS came to power, in 2016 Obajtek became president of the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (earning more than 560,000 zlotys a year), then president of state-owned companies Energa (2017, 8

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earnings of more than 1 million zlotys a year) and PKN Orlen (earnings of 2 million and 2.5 million zlotys in 2019 and 2020, respectively).

In 2016-2018, Obajtek additionally sat on the supervisory boards of two companies that are also indirectly controlled by the State Treasury: Lotos Biopaliwa and Dalmor.

He also plays an extremely important role in the implementation of one of the political priorities of his political camp: the process of “re-Polonization of business and media.” He is the architect of the ongoing process of PKN Orlen’s takeover of another fuel market giant, Lotos (the terms of the transaction are now subject to negotiations with the European Commission regarding compliance with the rules of combating market monopolies), as well as similar takeovers of Energa S.A. (which he previously managed on behalf of the Polish government) and gas giant PGNiG. Recently, another, even more controversial purchase of Orlen hit the headlines: the acquisition of Polska Press, which concentrates the lion’s share of the local press and electronic media. On April 11 the Court of the Competition and Consumer Protection Office (UOKiK) temporarily blocked the transaction, justifying its move by the principles of fighting monopolies on the press market. In response to the court’s ruling, Obajtek stated that the purchase of all shares in Polska Press had been made before the announcement of the verdict, so the takeover of the press concern was already a fact and PKN Orlen could act as the rightful owner of the media concern. He described the court’s decision as “political,” and numerous politicians of the ruling right wing have commented that the still unreformed Polish courts are hindering the re-Polonization of the media.

Obajtek’s reputation, which the ruling camp has so far presented as an example of an effective manager and a man The Warsaw Voice

The Warsaw Voice

of how he acquired his considerable assets, including and above all, numerous pieces of real estate across Poland.

In March, Obajtek decided to present his financial documents in view of the doubts regarding the legality of his assets.

His legal attorneys provided journalists with notarial deeds, tax returns, contracts for the sale or donation of real estate, statements of assets, loan and credit agreements from 1998 to 2020.

At Obajtek’s request, the same documents are currently being verified by the Central Anticorruption Bureau. It has already reviewed them twice in the past.

The documents show that over the last five years, Obajtek invested more than 4.4 million zlotys in real estate. Official documents show that, in total, he spent more than 5.7 million zlotys on this purpose over a period of 23 years.

Obajtek has bought plots of land and apartments in 14 localities. Officially, he has property deeds for or is a co-owner of 38 properties. Some of the deals involved the purchase of several hectares of land for a few thousand zlotys, but the list also includes such impressive investments as almost 6.5 hectares of land in Masuria (Poland’s popular lake district), a luxury apartment in Warsaw and a guest house in the seaside resort of Łeba.

Obajtek’s documented gross income since 1998 amounts to over 9 million zlotys (his net income is close to 6.8 million zlotys). The vast majority of this sum comes from the time of the PiS government (7 million zlotys gross and 4.8 million zlotys net). According to critics of PKN Orlen’s CEO, this was in no way sufficient to purchase as much real estate as the former head of Pcim boasts.

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POLITICS AND SOCIETY

without blemish, has recently come into question due to alleged financial abuses as well as personal issues. PiS politicians and right-wing commentators claim that Obajtek has fallen victim to a coordinated attack by the opposition, aimed at discrediting him as a successful businessman associated with the ruling party.

On February 26 the opposition-supporting daily Gazeta Wyborcza published an article titled “Taśmy Obajtka” (“Obajtek’s Tapes”) citing recordings of phone conversations between Obajtek and his business partners during his time as head of Pcim borough. The recordings were supposed to be proof that he made false statements about holding a public post while running the TT Plast company. The daily wrote that Obajtek, as mayor of Pcim, had broken the law because, according to the rules, he was not allowed to run a business while in office. Obajtek denied this information.

In the recorded conversations, Obajtek uttered numerous invectives and indecencies. Public television’s news program Wiadomości TVP, which is tightly controlled

by PiS, claimed that Obajtek suffers from Tourette’s syndrome. The next day, the Polish Tourette Syndrome Association issued a press statement saying that the profanities used by those affected by the disorder “have no substantive relation to the content of their statements” and that “profanities uttered by persons not affected by coprolalia are a symptom of a lack of personal refinement, not Tourette’s syndrome.”

Compared to the fuel giant CEO’s vulgar language, the ruling camp finds it much harder to swallow the matter

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THE END OF THE OMBUDSMAN? The ousting of Adam Bodnar, who has served as Poland’s ombudsman for the past several years, has led the opposition to believe that this institution important for democracy has been subordinated to the interests of the ruling party. International observers of the conflict surrounding the Polish ombudsman take the same view.

T

he Polish Constitutional Tribunal ruled on April 15 that a provision of the Ombudsman Act allowing the ombudsman to serve out their term until their successor takes office is unconstitutional. According to the opposition and European institutions headed by the Court of Justice of the EU, the Constitutional Tribunal is completely dependent on the ruling right wing.

Also on April 15, late in the evening, the lower chamber of the Polish parliament (the Sejm) elected a new ombudsman, a member of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party.

However, his candidacy did not get the approval of the upper house (the Senate), where the opposition has the majority. This promises to be another stalemate.

The case before the Constitutional Tribunal concerned the constitutionality of the ombudsman holding their office after the expiration of their term, which, according to the Constitution, is five years. Bodnar’s term thus expired on Sept. 9, 2020. Regarded by politicians on the right as a sympathizer of the liberal opposition, and by that opposition as an independent official, Bodnar has continued to serve as ombudsman in a situation where, as of September, the Sejm and Senate have been unable to appoint his successor.

The case was handled by a panel of five judges of the Constitutional Tribunal chaired by Julia Przyłębska, the tribunal’s president, considered by many observers to be a protégée of Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the ruling PiS party. The rapporteur was Judge Stanisław Piotrowicz, who is also described as a person of service to the ruling camp. He was previously an active member of PiS, and 10

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even before that, a prosecutor in communist Poland, involved in many cases against oppositionists from the underground democratic movements of the time.

Prior to the hearing, Bodnar requested that Przyłębska and Piotrowicz, among others, be excluded from the ruling because he doubted their impartiality. The tribunal did not grant this request.

IT IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE TO ENSURE THAT THIS INSTITUTION, WHICH DEFENDS CITIZENS’ RIGHTS AND PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE FOR UPHOLDING THE RULE OF LAW, REMAINS INDEPENDENT “In fact, this judgment is not about how long I should do my job, but it is a judgment about whether we will have the right to an independent ombudsman, whether we will The Warsaw Voice

budsman; 240 MPs voted in favor of Wróblewski’s candidacy, 201 were against, and 11 abstained. The required majority of votes was not obtained by either of the two opposition candidates.

Wróblewski has a PhD in law and specializes in constitutional law. He officially joined PiS in 2013 and has also been a member of the party’s Program Council since February 2014. In recent months he has become best known as a radical opponent of abortion. In 2017, he prepared a motion to the Constitutional Tribunal regarding the unconstitutionality of the provision allowing abortion in cases of irreversible damage to the fetus. Then, after protests from women’s groups, the motion was withdrawn.

POLITICS AND SOCIETY

have the right to an ombudsman to whom we can complain,” Bodnar commented after the ruling. “I think the whole world will be watching to see how Poland deals with this,” he added.

The first reactions from abroad did not take long to come.

“We are following closely and with concern the developments relating to the Polish ombudsman. It is of great importance to ensure that this institution, which defends citizens’ rights and plays an important role for upholding the rule of law, remains independent,” European Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova tweeted. Representatives of Human Rights Watch also expressed their concern after the Polish Constitutional Tribunal’s judgment.

The verdict was published with unprecedented speed, which, according to Polish law, is tantamount to a new ruling coming into force. “Within the next three months, a law should be passed regulating situations in which the ombudsman’s office is vacant for some time after the expiration of the term of office,” Judge Piotrowicz argued. This means that, regardless of the ongoing procedure for electing a new ombudsman, the legislature intends to prepare an amendment to the Ombudsman Act within a short period of time.

Marek Ast, a member of PiS and one of the petitioners in the case, also confirmed this intention to amend the law, adding that work on the amendment has not yet begun and that it will soon be up for discussion in the PiS caucus.

Ast did not rule out the possibility of Polish President Andrzej Duda performing the duties of the ombudsman in the interim period.

During the evening session on April 15, the Sejm chose PiS deputy Bartłomiej Wróblewski as the new om-

BEFORE OUR EYES, THE RULING RIGHT WING IS TRYING TO TAKE ONE OF THE LAST REMAINING INDEPENDENT STATE INSTITUTIONS UNDER ITS CONTROL All attempts by the ruling coalition to get opposition senators to vote for Wróblewski’s candidacy failed. On May 13, after an over three-hour debate, 48 out of 99 senators voted in favor of his candidacy, while 49 voted against and 2 abstained. Thus, the Senate rejected the candidacy of the Law and Justice politician.

Senate Speaker Tomasz Grodzki from Civic Platform said after the vote that the senators gave a “very clear signal that the parliamentary groups, both in opposition and in power, should finally engage in dialogue and attempt to work out a compromise candidate” who could be accepted by both the ruling coalition and the opposition.

“I do not want to appeal, I do not want to ask, but I would like to suggest that this is the only way for us to elect an Ombudsman who will serve the citizens and not the ruling party, the opposition party or other forces,” Grodzki argued.

Bodnar’s case is perceived as a political scandal by almost the entire Polish opposition. “Before our eyes, the ruling right wing is trying to take one of the last remaining independent state institutions under its control,” said Borys Budka, leader of the Civic Platform (PO) party, the largest opposition group. The same opinion has been expressed by representatives of the Left Alliance and the Poland 2050 movement led by Szymon Hołownia. There is no doubt, therefore, that the future shape of the new law on the ombudsman will be the subject of a fierce parliamentary battle, and the person of the new ombudsman, if elected within the statutory time limits, will stir controversy regardless of who ultimately becomes ombudsman.

The Warsaw Voice

Spring 2021

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WARSAW-BUDAPEST-ROME

EFFECTIVE ALLIANCE OR POLITICAL BLUFF? Promoting “traditional” values, including Christianity and the family, and “opposing the dictate of the stronger” were among the main topics of the Budapest meeting of the Polish and Hungarian prime ministers with the leader of the Italian Northern League in April. According to some politicians and commentators, the new trilateral alliance might play a destructive role in the process of further European integration.

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olish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki brought up the view that the European Union should not be guided by the “dictates of the stronger.” In his speech he added that, together with Viktor Orbán and Matteo Salvini, he would like to present a counter-offer based on a vision of strong sovereign states.

At the same time, Morawiecki continued, the new proposal will invoke “the common heritage of European tradition, respect for the family, the sovereign state, human dignity, respect for truth and the right of nations to self-determination.”

In his opinion, it is necessary to find “new platforms of understanding” in the EU. What is needed is “a deeper European integration in those aspects that are necessary, but one that at the same time respects national sovereignty, freedom of individuals, but also - and above all - respects actual, true, real European values, such as the family, the dignity of individuals, traditional values such as Christianity, and defending these values against various other cultures, if I may say so, which from the outside, from outside Europe, but also from inside Europe, try to attack these values,” the Polish prime minister explained.

The politicians’ next meeting is to take place in Warsaw in May.

Jan Truszczyński

, former Polish ambassador to the European Union (1996-2001), comments on the trilateral initiative of Warsaw, Budapest and Rome for The Warsaw Voice: The meeting of Viktor Orban, Matteo Salvini and Mateusz Morawiecki, who, it seems, was representing the leader of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, Jarosław Kaczyński, was a meeting of three representatives of the European far right. The first of these parties, Orban’s Fidesz, has recently ended up overboard in terms of influence and is now looking for a new place on the European political scene, in particular in the European Parliament. The other two parties have their own havens in the European Parliament, with PiS playing a dominant role in the European Conservatives and Reformists faction and the Northern League being the largest group in the Identity and Democracy faction. However, these factions differ so much that at one time they were unable to form a common front.

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The question is: Will such an agreement be possible this time? If we assume a full merger of the two aforementioned factions and add 11 MEPs from Fidesz, the second-largest force in the European Parliament would be created. This would translate into much greater influence in a practical sense; such a faction would have the right to claim leadership of at least a few parliamentary committees, it would have a bigger allocation of speaking time during plenary sessions, it would receive more money from the parliament’s budget. In short, there is a lot at stake here.

But will it work? The fact that, following the first tripartite meeting, it was agreed at least to hold another one, shows that there is a chance for an agreement. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen who will play first fiddle The Warsaw Voice

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Jan Truszczyński

and who will only be an accompanist. These are not insignificant considerations; of the three parties, the heads of two - Orban and Salvini - are political alpha males, people who want to dominate and lead. The obvious question, then, is who in the new alliance will be the focal point around which the others will group.

In the past, similar initiatives were hampered by a practical inability to agree on who would be a bit more and who a bit less important in the political, formal and protocol sense. We will wait and see.

Of course, if a new faction is created in the EP, it will involve a new political manifesto, the self-determination of a traditional extreme-right party, striving to weaken the European integration that has continued for almost 70 years. However, I wouldn’t bet all my savings on this actually happening, especially in a situation where we hear that PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński also assumes a key role for his party.

On the other hand, I admit that the will to continue the talks of the three parties shows that they see a future for their new political venture. It cannot be ruled out, therefore, that they will eventually come to some agreement and a new political force will be created in Europe.

There is no doubt that Poland would lose out on the Warsaw-Budapest-Rome initiative’s success. The increased influence of the far right will mean a weakening of the integration process in Europe, which is not in the interest of either the Polish state or Polish society.

However, even if this new faction in the EP is formed, it does not mean that the coalition attractiveness of the European far right will increase in the near future, and that its ability to influence European legislation will be The Warsaw Voice

strengthened. At least until the next election, this will not be the case. The far right will remain a significant but nonetheless marginal presence. It will still not play any major role in the process of building coalitions for one or another political goal in Europe. For that purpose, the groups of the Christian Democrats, the Left, the Greens and the Liberals are and will be sufficient in the future. These four formations in the European Parliament, although of course it is difficult for them to get along with one another, have shown more than once that they are able to do so and do not need any additional partner. They can obtain the necessary majority to pass any resolution, to vote through any joint project. The effective influence of the far right will therefore not increase, even if a merger of its forces in the EP is indeed accomplished.

Of course, if the new faction manages to create effective channels of social communication, to build a narrative attractive to the conservative, traditionalist part of the European electorate, I do not rule out its new success in the next European elections. Thus, the political power of the far right, built on negation, could grow in the coming years. If this happens, it will not be thanks to the alliance of Orban, Salvini and Kaczyński, but because of socioeconomic trends, which will determine the attitude of voters.

To sum up, I do not see the initiative of this new European political axis as anything that is cause for too much concern. It is not a threat to the political mainstream, neither in Europe nor in Poland. The extreme right wing, in my opinion, doesn’t stand much chance of having a lasting influence on the minds of European societies.

Spring 2021

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NATIONAL RECOVERY PLAN In the first days of May, Poland presented the European Commission with the draft assumptions of its National Recovery Plan (KPO), the most important document outlining the priorities for the country’s economic development in the period after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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he draft’s almost 500 pages list amounts and how they will be spent in five areas: building the Polish economy’s competitiveness, green energy, digitalization, healthcare, and e-mobility.

Under the KPO, Poland is to receive more than 23.9 billion euros in grants and more than 34.2 billion euros in loans.

Mateusz Morawiecki’s government also asked the EC to wait up to four weeks before starting its official assessment of the KPO, during which the draft can still be amended by Poland in a “technical dialogue” with Brussels. Thus, the period of up to two months that EU rules give the EC to assess the KPO may not actually start until early June. In practice, this means that the final assessment of the Polish plan may not be announced until July.

The KPO draft has been under development for many weeks in consultations between Warsaw and Brussels, and

EC Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis already reported briefly on the status of the talks regarding the project at an EC meeting on March 24. It is obvious by now that the EC will have many reservations, and unblocking the flow of EU aid will require further, long negotiations.

Among other things, the EC has remarks to offer on the rules of monitoring and control in the Polish KPO. The aim is to reinforce the principle of non-discrimination of beneficiaries of the EU recovery fund in Poland. It is no secret that this is about preventing any politicized distribution of EU money, which is particularly feared by the Polish opposition and local governments.

Admittedly, the Polish plan submitted to Brussels does contain provisions on a Monitoring Committee, which is to comprise “representatives of institutions involved in the implementation of the KPO,” including trade unions, em-

Mateusz Morawiecki presents the KPO

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ECONOMY

ployers and “representatives of nationwide organizations of local government units.” Moreover, the plan mentions several times that “support will be granted in accordance with all the rules ensuring non-discrimination of all potential beneficiaries, and the selection of entities to receive support will be based on objective criteria.” But the details of how the Polish Monitoring Committee will operate are yet to be specified in the law, which inspires distrust.

It is clear from the statements of EU diplomats that Brussels would like to see more binding specifics on monitoring the money’s disbursement and to review the objectives of the recovery fund that are already included in the Polish KPO. Then, properly approved rules of the Monitoring Committee could not be changed later, on an ad hoc basis, by the government majority in Poland without breaking legally binding arrangements within the EU. And compliance with these rules will determine the disbursement of further instalments of funding to Poland.

European Commission experts are currently finalizing the first set of questions and comments on the Polish KPO. In their provisional opinion, the Polish plan is in line with the EU recovery fund’s overall indicators for projects related to climate policy and digitalization. On the other hand, the EC may suggest that the Polish authorities put more emphasis on loans within KPO projects, although this point has already caused controversy among Polish local-government officials.

The assessment of national recovery plans does not just involve analyzing their compliance with individual EC guidelines.

The EC’s experts will consider the merits of the measures presented by the member states, including issues related to control systems, according to Paolo Gentiloni, EU commissioner for economic affairs, who spoke at a European Parliament debate on the recovery fund on May 18.

The EP will also give its opinion on the KPO, but without legal effect and only in consultation with the EC and the EU Council.

Poland’s KPO draft is based on 23.9 billion euros in KPO grants as well as 12.1 billion euros in loans, which is just over a third of the cheap loans due to Poland from the EU recovery fund. But Poland may request the rest up to 2023. After the EC gives the green light, the KPO must be The Warsaw Voice

THERE IS NO DOUBT, HOWEVER, THAT THE ENORMOUS AID TO BE RECEIVED FROM EU COFFERS IS A NECESSARY CONDITION FOR THE COMPLETION OF THESE AMBITIOUS PLANS approved by EU finance (or economy) ministers in the EU Council with a majority of at least 15 EU countries covering 65 percent of the EU population.

Representatives of the Polish government, led by Prime Minister Morawiecki, have repeatedly pointed out that the projects planned in the KPO, including the largest ones, will be (and often already are) implemented even before the green light is given by the EC. The biggest investment projects mentioned in the KPO document include the construction of the Central Transport Hub (CPK), i.e. an airport that will compete with the largest Central European hubs in future, and the construction of the Vistula Spit canal, which will allow the Vistula Lagoon to be connected to the Baltic Sea. Although strongly criticized by the current opposition as not being economically viable, the latter project is supposed to end the period of Poland’s dependence on the waterway running through Russian territorial waters.

According to representatives of the Polish government, the investment projects in the KPO will initially be based on domestic funding from the state budget. There is no doubt, however, that the enormous aid to be received from EU coffers is a necessary condition for the completion of these ambitious plans. The opinion of the European Commission, to be delivered within the next few months, is therefore of key importance for the Polish economy, while the negotiations on the approval of the KPO document sent to Brussels promise to be a serious test of the Polish authorities’ credibility in the united Europe.

Spring 2021

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EUROPEAN ANTI-DOPING

By Paweł Wojciechowski*

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espite the natural enthusiasm of Poland’s ruling right-wing coalition for taking advantage of the “new Marshall Plan,” its leaders are quite irritated by the conditionality attached to the release of these funds. Now, contrary to appearances, these are not some new conditions demanded by the opposition or Brussels, but those that were already previously accepted by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at the December summit of the Council of the European Union.

According to International Monetary Fund estimates, Poland’s debt will grow by as much as 43.1 percent in zlotys (40.9 percent in U.S. dollars) between 2019 and 2022, a rate much faster than the global average (33.8 percent), and will amount to as much as PLN 451 billion in 2022. No wonder that the Polish government is counting on a cash injection of around PLN 250 billion, which will fall like manna from heaven from the European recovery fund. If all EU countries ratify the revenue

decision, spending from national plans, such as Poland’s National Recovery Plan (KPO), will be launched. For Poland this means a financial injection of about PLN 76 billion by the end of 2022 just from the grant part. The rest is in the form of very favorable loans.

WHILE THE RULING COALITION WANTS THE MONEY, IT IS AFRAID OF THE PRINCIPLE OF LINKING THE DISBURSEMENT OF EU FUNDS TO THE RULE OF LAW * Prof. Paweł Wojciechowski is a former Polish minister of finance and deputy minister of foreign affairs, currently vice-president and chief economist at the all-Poland employers’ organization Pracodawcy RP. The views expressed are those of the author only.

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The Warsaw Voice

from the perspective of those countries that offer development money to others, but do not want to do so unconditionally. Of course, there are arguments coming from the other side, not only from Poland, that governments have nothing to hide but are afraid that the mechanism of conditionality might be used to interfere with a country’s sovereignty.

The fear of exemplary punishment triggers an attack on those who have been mandated to police the rules.

The easy targets are Brussels bureaucrats, who are sup-

ECONOMY

While the ruling coalition wants the money, it is afraid of the principle of linking the disbursement of EU funds to the rule of law, and, to a lesser extent, of the requirements that will begin to apply under the KPO. One of the smallest coalition partners, the furthest-right Solidarna Polska (United Poland) led by Deputy Prime Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, has criticized the prime minister from the start for being submissive at the December summit of the Council of the European Union.

At the end of April, it finally fulfilled its threats by not voting for the government’s KPO bill in the parliament.

The opposition proved to be even more divided on the issue than some observers had assumed. Although it had earlier seemed unrealistic that the pro-European part of the opposition would have a hand in Ziobro’s course of action, it was the parliamentary Left, once responsible for leading Poland into the European Union, that supported the Law and Justice (PiS) government by offering the votes necessary to pass the KPO bill. This enabled not only the necessary document to be sent to Brussels on time, but also the government coalition simply to survive.

Let’s leave to the politicians the storm that this decision caused in the opposition benches. It should be added, however, that the valid demands of the opposition and the social partners concerning the need for greater public control over the KPO have little to do with the ratification act. After all, this document is not about spending, but about revenues. Yes, it is worth voicing these demands, but making them a condition of ratification is a very risky move. It makes more sense to put them forward later, at the stage of work on the law implementing the KPO, which will be processed within the Sejm in summer at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the rules of conditionality between Warsaw and Brussels have a completely different significance and dynamics, both the ex post ones, which have already been adopted, and the ex ante ones connected with settling accounts for the KPO. In this case, Brussels has managed to tie expenses not only to the European strategies of the Green Deal and digital transformation, but also to recommended reforms.

The evolution of the conditionality rules was not sudden, but matured over several years. Before the financial crisis, the possibility of sanctions against irresponsible fiscal policies only existed on paper. The Greek sovereign debt crisis highlighted the need to create, alongside ex post instruments, a broader set of ex ante ones, together with recommendations for reforms for each individual country.

Unfortunately, although they accept these recommendations, governments are still not eager to implement them.

The recovery fund is changing these earlier rules by introducing, in addition to clear conditionality, a sanction mechanism of freezing funds. This can be compared to anti-doping rules in sports. The fight against doping in sport, after all, is based on agreeing on common rules of fair play and monitoring them, and applying sanctions if necessary.

Similarly, Brussels is supposed to hold the national plans accountable, verify the implementation of investments and reforms, but also closely monitor violations of the rule of law that may affect the spending of EU money. This strengthens the community and solidarity, also

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ALSO CARE ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND GOVERNMENT-INDEPENDENT CONTROL OF PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION, BECAUSE THIS INCREASES THE CREDIBILITY OF THE KPO posed to make sure there are no violations. But it is not the EU bureaucrats but the societies of other member states, through their leaders and the European Parliament, who are demanding strict conditionality. There is much more at stake in the ratification game than simply spending KPO money or implementing national reforms.

It is a vision for the future of Europe. The communitization of debt is a milestone toward further integration based on the principles of greater solidarity, but also on the responsibility of member states.

However, it is worth underlining at this point that in order to be effective, rules cannot presume collective responsibility. In anti-doping rules, athletes are not punished for the faults of sports associations, so Russian athletes may still compete, but under a neutral flag. The EU, too, must deal with this in such a way as not to punish beneficiaries from the lower levels of economies for the misdeeds of their governments. It will certainly not be easy. This has been pointed out by Polish entrepreneurs, who are counting on the development funds from the KPO being made available with due respect for the rules of fair competition. They support the transparency of settlements and public control of projects so that there is no shadow of a doubt that someone wants to hide or embezzle anything.

The government should also care about transparency and government-independent control of project implementation, because this increases the credibility of the KPO. This credibility, but also other factors such as the judicial independence of courts, will determine the level of private investment in Poland, both foreign and domestic. And this is the most important effect the government should count on. Therefore, it is in our common interest to support all of the EU’s conditionality policy.

Spring 2021

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150 YEARS

OF INNOVATION Dariusz Wójcik, General Manager of Continental Opony Polska, talks to Witold Żygulski.

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systemic change in the organizational structure of Continental Opony Polska took place on Jan. 1; what were the reasons for this decision and what is the purpose of the reform?

The organizational change is the effect of implementing the principle of a partnership approach to business. The entire automotive market is changing, primarily due to the evolving attitude of drivers, our customers. We have been dealing with many changes in recent years, also on the Polish market. The quality of the car fleet has been improving.

Continental is a company with 150 years of experience, and we are also celebrating 25 years of Continental Op-

IN A CHANGING, UNCERTAIN REALITY, OUR PARTNERS, WHETHER THEY ARE A DISTRIBUTOR, ONLINE STORE, WORKSHOP OR FLEET, NEED A PARTNER WHO IS COMMITTED TO THEIR BUSINESS MODELS 18

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ony Polska. In the new reality of a market economy, our company became a major player in the tire industry. We have maintained this position for many years by supplying products of very high quality. Not only the flagship brand Continental has contributed to this success, but also other tire brands, of which we have a total of 14. We offer tires for passenger cars, trucks, specialty vehicles, agricultural machinery, bicycles and motorcycles. Above all, our partners have always expected availability of our products, an organized supply network, competitive prices, marketing support, etc. Today, all this is no longer enough; the key element of long-term success is now the team: people who are able to effectively build relationships, which today, we feel, have to be taken to another level.

In a changing, uncertain reality, our partners, whether they are a distributor, online store, workshop or fleet, need a partner who is committed to their business models. They require support not only in marketing, but also in exploring new collaboration solutions. This is becoming the main goal of our organizational change. We want to be a company that understands the needs of its partners and can support them not only in the basic elements of business, but also in building new solutions.

In order to allow greater customer centricity while increasing the overall efficiency of the organizations, we have been operating in a new, integrated structure. Now we are divided into three business areas: distribution, retail, and fleet services. The transformation of the business units had started on January 1, 2020.

One example of the transformation is the BestDrive network we have been developing for a decade. Its participants The Warsaw Voice

BUSINESS

are dynamically transforming themselves from tire service companies into professional car service workshops, thanks to which they are often becoming local leaders.

Is this principle of a comprehensive customer approach a central element of the “Vision 2030” strategy?

Continental’s principle has always been to adapt as thoroughly as possible to the local conditions of a given market. The automotive sector is becoming increasingly diverse today, and this diversity will grow even more in the next decade. The dominant trend in recent years, of course, has been electromobility, but we can even expect new developments in driving itself, the beginnings of which we are already seeing. New vehicles are already able, at least partially, to support the driver, to make decisions on the road. This trend will develop, and very quickly at that.

Environmental responsibility is another important direction we are taking. We have been consistently striving for sustainable development for many years. We have clearly defined short- and long-term goals, leading us to 2050, when we will become a net zero-emission organization. The very concrete results of these efforts are already visible: next year, all Continental products, not just tires, supplied for zero-emission cars will have zero carbon footprint.

We are living in times of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic; to what extent has this situation affected and continues to affect changes in your business?

The pandemic has affected all industries, but the automotive market was especially weakened because people simply stopped moving around. In Poland, as in most of Europe, the three waves of the pandemic coincided with three seaThe Warsaw Voice

NEW VEHICLES ARE ALREADY ABLE, AT LEAST PARTIALLY, TO SUPPORT THE DRIVER, TO MAKE DECISIONS ON THE ROAD sonal tire changeovers, from winter to summer or vice versa. This has affected our partners’ business. The biggest challenge for them was to ensure the security of their service employees.

In our work, we were able - practically from the beginning of the threat - to switch to a remote system overnight, without disrupting our core business processes.

We are still working in a hybrid system, with only a small number of employees coming to the office, with sanitary security measures, of course. The same applies to those who have to visit our business partners. So we are working fairly normally and efficiently, although it must be remembered that the market for passenger and commercial tires in Europe in 2020 decreased by 14% compared to the previous year, and in Poland by 14.9% in the same period. It was only in the fourth quarter of last year that harbingers of improvement appeared. The beginning of this year is very optimistic; we recorded a market growth of 15.2% in the first quarter of this year in the pandemic, compared to the first quarter of last year when we had the first cases of COVID-19 in Poland. Let’s hope this positive trend continues.

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TO MEET OR NOT TO MEET?

By Juliusz Kłosowski

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he pandemic and the associated restrictions have hit many sectors of the economy, but few have suffered losses so severe and with such lasting consequences as the market for congresses, conferences, trade fairs, exhibitions and other meetings, often referred to as the meetings industry or simply the MICE sector (meetings, incentives, conferences & exhibitions).

The meetings and events market in Poland is expected to have shrunk by 80% in 2020 compared to 2019. A report by the Polish Tourism Organization (POT) published on April 22 during Meetings Week Poland 2021 shows that the declines have hit the largest Polish meetings hubs - Warsaw and Kraków - particularly hard.

None of the participants in the annual congress of the Polish meetings industry in April was comforted by the fact that the situation looks similar on other developed markets in Europe.

The ninth edition of Meetings Week Poland was held on April 22 and 23 and was devoted to the functioning of the meetings industry in the new social, economic and transportation reality.

This year’s event was divided into six thematic sessions prepared by industry associations representing various areas of the meetings industry. Like every year, one of them was organized by The Warsaw Voice magazine. True to tradition, the session of the Poland Meetings Destination series discussed issues of strategic importance for the industry.

The Polish meetings industry has been growing dynamically in recent years (before the pandemic), generating revenue and creating jobs with its scale, which reached levels known from the most developed markets in Europe. Whereas it accounted for about 1% of GDP in 2015, in 2019 it already reached 1.5% of GDP in what was a dynamically developing economy at the time. Immediately before the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, 220,000 professionals worked for the industry.

According to the scenarios quoted by the POT, made available by the Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe and covering the entire European market, even in the optimistic scenario, a return to the 2019 level will only be possible in 2023. The basic scenario as-

Foto: Katarzyna Cegłowska One of The Warsaw Voice discussion panels in the virtual studio of Meetings Week Poland 2021 congress. From the left: Juliusz Kłosowski, The Warsaw Voice, Paula Fanderowska, Polish Conference & Congress Association, Anna Salamończyk-Mochel, Polish Toursim Organization (on the screen), Grażyna Grot-Duziak, SITE Poland, Dawid Lasek, Ministry of Development, Labor and Technology.

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One of the dark horses of the Polish meeting industry: the ICE Kraków, state-of-art congress centre, located in the very heart of the city with a beautiful view on the nearby Wawel Royal Castle.

sumes reaching such a situation in 2025, and the pessimistic one mentions 2027 at the earliest.

During the Poland Meetings Destination session organized under the auspices of The Warsaw Voice, representatives of the POT and the Ministry of Development, Labor and Technology, which oversees the POT as a government agency, expressed some concern and pointed to the need for special attention to be given to rebuilding the industry’s position.

Andrzej Gut-Mostowy, secretary of state at the ministry, described the meetings industry as “one of the key areas of the economy.” He announced significant support for business tourism as part of the National Recovery Plan.

Anna Salamończyk-Mochel, vice-president of the POT, spoke about the need to build a broader strategy for the development of the meetings industry in Poland. She referred to the POT’s previously announced management concept of creating one of the key European meeting hubs in Poland.

The participants of the Poland Meetings Destination session and the entire MWP congress, held online with the use of state-of-the-art technologies, agreed that the role of the meetings industry for the Polish economy should not diminish as a result of the pandemic. On the contrary, dynamic development of the economy is not possible without even faster growth of this industry than before.

The year 2020 was supposed to be record-breaking for the MICE sector in Poland, which was confirmed both by representatives of hotel and conference venues and by event organizers. Unfortunately, these ambitious plans were thwarted by the pandemic. Compared to 2019, a decrease

in the number of events is visible in all cities in 2020. The so-called second-choice cities lost around 76 percent of the forecast level, while Warsaw and Kraków saw a drop of more than 80 percent.

Since March 2020 when the first economic freeze was announced in Poland due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many smaller and medium-sized conferences as well as practically all trade fair events have been cancelled or moved online.

Only a small number of events were held in hybrid mode.

This combines traditional meetings, attended by far fewer people and with appropriate safety measures in place, with a virtual format in which the majority of congress or conference participants watch the proceedings via the Internet.

According to Mateusz Czerwiński, vice-president of the Warsaw Tourism Organization (WOT), this is one of the main directions in which the meetings industry will be heading in the nearest future. He says the WOT is prepared for such a scenario. “The meetings market has changed for good, but this does not mean that we will stop meeting.

Meetings are necessary for the proper development of science, the economy and culture. So, the question is not if, but how,” Czerwiński remarked.

Together with many partners from the meetings market, his organization has prepared a plan proposing new solutions aimed at supporting the budgets of event organizers in Poland. Of course, this would involve various forms of co-financing, which would be supported by local governments as well as, and above all, the state budget. The draft, presented on the eve of the congress to the Ministry of Development, Labor and Technology, has reportedly met with great interest.

Both the WOT representative and representatives of other local organizations operating on the meetings market, including those from Kraków and Łódź, as well as representatives of industry associations, underlined during the discussion that the pandemic has not just ruined existing networks and cooperation schemes and painfully affected the industry. It has also opened up new opportunities. On an international scale, this boils down to a brutal truth: hitherto unrivalled destinations, located in the most attractive corners of the world and the most beautiful cities - legends of tourism, suddenly had to enter into equal competition with so-called second-choice destinations. But is this an opportunity that can be used by the dark horses of the industry, and do these include any Polish cities or conference, congress and exhibition centers built in Poland in recent years? We will probably not have to wait long for an answer.

In the virtual studio of Meetings Week Poland 2021: appropriate safety measures in place.

Foto: Katarzyna Cegłowska

The Warsaw Voice

BUSINESS

Foto: Szymon Witkowski

Spring 2021

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BUSINESS RETURNS TO OFFICES Labour market is recovering, with offices being leased by e-commerce, IT, and BPO/SSC sectors.

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abour market data is positive: many companies have restarted recruitment and several international corporations have announced plans to open more shared services centres in Poland. The office market is also seeing a rebound in occupier activity.

According to data by the Central Statistical Office (GUS), Poland’s unemployment rate stood at 6.2% in December 2020, up by 1 percentage point year-on-year. “This change basically emerged in the second quarter of last year and continued in the following months. In the largest urban areas, jobless rates have remained largely unchanged, standing at record lows in Katowice, Warsaw, Poznań, and Wrocław,” says Małgorzata Mudyna, Randstad Professionals Brand Manager, Randstad Polska.

A survey of Hays’ statistics shows that up to 13% of professionals and managers may have lost jobs in the ear-

WHILE SOME COMPANIES HAVE DECIDED TO REDUCE THEIR OFFICE FOOTPRINT, OTHERS ARE PLANNING TO EXPAND TO ACCOMMODATE THEIR RAPID GROWTH 22

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ly phase of the pandemic. Many were not out of work for long, though. At the other end of the spectrum, some companies experienced a period of strong growth in recent months and reported increased workforce requirements.

Market data has revealed that close to 30% of staff have returned to the office. Other companies are exploring the market to find out whether the time is right to move back. For the past year they have been examining what kind of a flexible work model could be best for their staff and business.

“It is all about their corporate culture and sector and about an employee’s position and type of job - not all work can be done remotely. We have noticed that in-office working is more often expected of senior professionals - managers and executives. There are also many firms requiring new hires to come to the office during their induction phase,” says Michał Kłak, Executive Manager, Michael Page.

Looking ahead, office and specialized staff will be working remotely up to two days per week, reveals an analysis by Randstad. Half of employers will prefer a hybrid model, while only 5% of companies will opt for remote-only working. Making decisions about returning to the workplace will largely depend on how the epidemic situation unfolds and on the roll-out of vaccines across the country. At the same time, most companies have teams continuously monitoring the situation in the country and preparing recommendations.

The office market is also seeing a revival of activity after the first quarter of this year. While some companies have decided to reduce their office footprint, others are The Warsaw Voice

The fact that the pandemic has not stopped investments in Poland is also positive. Poland was in the top European tier for foreign direct investments last year and several international companies recently announced plans to enter the Polish market to set up shared services centres here.

They come from such sectors as pharmaceutical, healthcare, ICT, and home appliances.

“A third of BPO/SSC companies are planning to take on staff. Workers will also be needed in manufacturing and building. As well as recruiting blue-collar workers, these sectors will also look for high-skilled technicians, foremen, and engineers. Companies are reporting requirements for IT specialists, auditors, financial controllers, digital marketing experts, and HR professionals,” says Małgorzata Mudyna.

Public sector organisations have also been notably active on the office leasing market. “Government offices and agencies, courts, public utility and state-owned companies began using modern office space several years ago. These organisations are still active on the market and continue to lease office space,” says Martyna Balcer.

Market analysts are looking forward to an improved business sentiment in the next six months, largely driven by massive vaccination programmes which will soon be joined by entrepreneurs as well.

“A third of employees have already returned to the office and more will gradually follow. People have had enough of ‘stay at home’. Paradoxically, many work more, answer phones and e-mails after working hours. In the long run this will contribute to the feeling of burnout and being demotivated to perform,” Balcer adds. “Some will want to continue working from home one or two days per week. This will change the way the office is used, but will not change its role in business. Many will still need an assigned space rather than a hot desk - especially IT specialists who, on account of the work they do, will want to have their own desk, computer and monitor in the office, even if working in a hybrid model.”

REAL ESTATE

planning to expand to accommodate their rapid growth.

According to experts at real estate advisory firm Cresa Poland, companies in expansion mode are also likely to become a driver of the office market recovery.

“Since the beginning of this year, we have seen more decision-making and optimism among our clients. Some companies whose office leases are due to expire are starting to explore the market. It takes time to complete leasing processes, no matter what the circumstances are even outside the pandemic, and putting off decisions until the last minute may make negotiations much tougher and put tenants at a disadvantage,” says Martyna Balcer, Associate Director, Office Department, Cresa Poland. “Last year some companies seized financial opportunities to extend lease agreements, which also gave them some extra time in which to think about future workplace strategies.

As a result, some cities saw notable increases in lease regears, including Warsaw (up by 3.5 pp), Krakow (13 pp) and Wrocław (15 pp). New offices were mostly opened by IT and e-commerce companies, which accounted for as much as 32.6% of all new deals,” she adds.

Chief among those hiring are invariably digitization sectors: IT, e-commerce, and digital. Experts in these fields are also in the strongest demand.

“Job offers are plentiful for specialists in cloud computing, cybersecurity, data science, programming and automation, as well as experts in high tech and other fields of business such as marketing and finance,” says Karolina Szyndler, Director, Hays. “The past year has also been good for experienced financial advisers, tax and labour law experts. Their expertise was extremely valuable for companies trying to navigate frequently challenging and rapidly changing circumstances,” she adds.

According to Michał Kłak, new talents are also needed in real estate companies, especially in the warehouse sector. There are many job opportunities in financing for independent accountants and auditors with responsibility for a group of special purpose vehicles or project companies.

In the photo (from the left): Karolina Szyndler; Małgorzata Mudyna; Martyna Balcer; Michał Kłak.

The Warsaw Voice

Spring 2021

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COVID-19 PANDEMIC AS A MILESTONE FOR THE OFFICE MARKET? In 2020, the office market has passed the test of confidence.

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he spread of the hybrid model of working, fast-tracked digitalization of business processes, combined with increased awareness about the importance of employee well-being are the main trends that shaped the office market in Poland in 2020.

An indirect effect of the COVID -19 pandemic was an increase in lease renegotiations, as well as a rise in the amount of space available on a sublet basis. AXI IMMO presented a preliminary analysis of the key trends in the Polish office market this year.

In April 2020, all companies were forced to take part in the global remote working test. In many Western European countries, this model is already well-known and has been in place for several years. But for many Polish companies, this marked the beginning of a new era of office working. HR departments had to rethink staffing strategies.

The employment relationship has become based on trust, with employee supervision limited to online meetings. The new model has been an important test, which many organizations have passed. For some however, it became evident that when the office environment is removed, motivation, productivity and quality of work decline.

“Time will show whether the COVID-19 pandemic will remain a milestone for the sector, permanently changing the perception of an office as a place to work. At present, drawing far-reaching conclusions seems hasty because the 24

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situation is changing quickly. What we may define today as a trend may turn out to be a temporary response to an evolving market situation. Things may change again in 6 months. Nevertheless, we need to remember that in the 5 years prior to the start of the pandemic, the Polish office market had changed and matured significantly. The recent changes might be a sign that the market is entering into the next stage of development, following in the footsteps of more mature office hubs”, said Martin Lipiński, Head of the Office Agency and Tenant Representation, AXI IMMO. Due to the new market situation, some occupiers have re-assessed the amount and nature of its office space. Many have decided to introduce changes in that respect, and this is reflected in the data. Indeed, renegotiations were widespread in the first 9 months of 2020, accounting for 47.6% of take-up in Warsaw and 52% in the main regional markets. Companies have adopted two strategies - they either decided to stay in the current office and negotiate rent exemptions with landlords, or they offered part of their office to external parties on a sublet basis. According to AXI IMMO’s estimates, subletting accounted for approx.

2% of total office stock both in Warsaw and in the regions thus far this year.

“Despite the turmoil in the office market, the current situation is beneficial for smaller companies that have until now rented offices in private premises or within houses and provides them with an opportunity to try out instituThe Warsaw Voice

CURRENTLY, APART FROM AN ATTRACTIVE INTERIOR AND COMFORTABLE EQUIPMENT, THE OFFICE IS ALSO SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR HEALTH When considering relocations, occupiers looked more favorably at coworking offices or serviced offices. Market uncertainty due to the pandemic and the difficulty of projecting the future attracted companies to the flexibility offered by such premises. Nevertheless, the pandemic did not stop several large lease agreements from closing.

Indeed, a record large leasing transaction was signed in 2020 in Warsaw. It was a pre-let of 46,600 sqm by PZU in Generation Park Y. In the regions, the largest transaction was a renewal of a 30,000 lease by the Nokia Siemens Network across two office buildings - West Gate and West Link in Wrocław.

“A trend that has so far only been mentioned in the context of larger tenants are so-called satellite offices. This concept allows different teams or departments to work in small offices located in different parts of the city. Such premises are typically well-located, with good access to public transport, and are often leased on a flexible basis.

We expect that the first case studies showing this model

implemented will come from even more mature markets such as London or Paris”, Lipiński said.

The situation triggered by the pandemic has influenced not only the way people think about the office. It also sparked a discussion on occupational health and safety. In order to ensure the highest sanitary standards, landlords introduced the latest technological solutions, including non-contact lifts, automatic parking systems, temperature scanners and automatic doors. Applications for booking a desk in a hot-desking system or reserve a conference room, or to order a meal from the canteen, have become widespread.

During the pandemic, some occupiers decided to move away from the concept of space optimization, which had been popular previously. In order to ensure health and safety, the number of sqm per employee has been increased. Emphasis on the comfort of employees has also been reflected in the way floors are arranged or redesigned. Currently, apart from an attractive interior and comfortable equipment, the office is also supposed to take care of our health. The growing awareness of well-being and caring for the comfort of employees are part of the new category of “WELL Building Standard” certification obtained by developers for new office buildings.

On the supply side, Warsaw and the regional markets have gone head-to-head in the last 12 months. Total stock in the capital remains broadly on a par with the combined stock of the eight main regional markets. It is highly probable that by the end of 2020, Polish office total stock will reach 12 million sqm, and will exceed this barrier after the completion of key developments in 2021. Warsaw is expected to exceed the barrier of 6 million sqm by then.

AXI IMMO expects the second largest Polish office market - Kraków - to break through the 1.5m sqm barrier and Wrocław to grow to 1.3m sqm. The new supply will significantly contribute to the increase in availability. The vacancy rate stood at 11% of stock at the end of Q3 and is likely to increase further in 2021. This will put pressure on property owners to lower rental rates.

REAL ESTATE

tional-grade offices on a sublet basis. It is a way of testing, with limited commitment, how the company could operate alongside other prestigious occupiers and whether this model suits the employees”, Lipiński added.

Martin Lipiński

The Warsaw Voice

Spring 2021

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RESHUFFLES IN POLAND’S RETAIL MARKET The pandemic highlighted the challenges that the Polish retail market had faced before, emphasizing not only the importance of multi-channel sales, but also the need to look for alternative locations.

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LL summarized conditions in that market at the end of 2020. “The last twelve months were marked by three lockdowns which obviously changed the shopping habits of Poles and contributed to the growing popularity of smaller retail formats.

At the same time, the outbreak of the pandemic highlighted the challenges that the market had faced for a long time. In addition to the increase in online and multi-channel sales, the need to look for alternative locations that would allow chains to attract new customer groups has also been underlined. Other locations include high streets, which, thanks to the adoption of new strategies, may benefit from the current changes taking place on the market”, said Anna Wysocka, Head of Retail Agency, JLL.

IN ADDITION TO THE GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS, MANY TENANTS RECEIVED “COVID” DISCOUNTS FROM LANDLORDS, USUALLY SPREAD OVER SEVERAL MONTHS OF 2020 26

Spring 2021

The decline in footfall and turnover in most shopping centers in Poland, as well as negotiations between landlords and tenants, slowed down or temporarily suspended the expansion plans of most tenants.

“On the other hand, most grocery chains and tenants in the ‘value retailer’ category were less affected by the pandemic, and their expansion plans went ahead and were often targeted at new retail destinations more resistant to the effects of the introduced restrictions. It is also worth recalling that 2020 saw the debut of several foreign brands, including the Irish fashion giant, Primark and the American brand Urban Outfitters. In addition, American Vintage from France, Falconeri from Italy, a boutique with cosmetics - Armani Beauty from France, a chain of furniture stores - Mömax from Austria, and the Russian grocery discount, Mere, also opened their first stores in Poland during this time“, added Joanna Tomczyk, another JLL’s expert.

At the same time, some brands decided to close their operations in Poland. This was down to their financial condition, which in many cases, were unfavorable even before the pandemic. This trend could also be observed on foreign markets. The stores that have been closed included fashion chains Forever21, Camaieu, Promod, and Stefanel, shoe chain Salamander, sporting goods provider Sportisimo, and household goods chain Miniso.

Similarly, to the trends observed in other countries, 2020 saw declines in the investment volume in Poland’s retail real estate sector.

“2020 ended up with only approximately EUR 650 million worth of deals, predominantly focused on retail parks, convenience centres, DIY stores, food stores and assets for repositioning, repurposing or operator change. We expect that along with the continued high activity of developers The Warsaw Voice

DUE TO THE SECOND LOCKDOWN IN NOVEMBER AND THE THIRD LOCKDOWN CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, IN MANY CASES FURTHER RENT DISCOUNTS ARE THE SUBJECT OF ONGOING DISCUSSIONS in the segment of retail parks and convenience centres, as well as the changing shopping habits of Polish consumers, investor attention will increasingly focus on these types of formats. Prime retail park yields remain at 6.8% and are expected to compress, due to increased investor demand for this type of product”, commented Agnieszka Kołat, Executive Director, Retail Investment, JLL. No shopping centre, exceeding 20,000 sqm, was transacted on in a direct deal. The only transaction including large shopping centres was the corporate sale of a 61.49% stake in GTC (which owns two shopping centres in Poland: Galeria Północna in Warsaw and Galeria Jurajska in Częstochowa) by Lonestar in a corporate deal to Optimum Ventures Private Equity Fund from Hungary. In addition, a 50% stake in Wrocław Fashion Outlet was sold by Hammerson to APG as part of a European portfolio deal for approximately EUR 22 million.

2020 was also a challenging year in terms of rental conditions. Commitments between landlords and tenants were temporarily suspended, and retailers which had to cease operations, were released from rent and service charges The Warsaw Voice

Agnieszka Kołat

REAL ESTATE

Anna Wysocka

in exchange for a lockdown plus a six-month lease extension. In addition to the government regulations, many tenants received “COVID” discounts from landlords, usually spread over several months of 2020.

“Due to the second lockdown in November and the third lockdown currently underway, in many cases further rent discounts are the subject of ongoing discussions. However, it should be borne in mind that government regulations have had a negative impact on the financial health of shopping center owners, who are additionally not covered by any assistance program. Lease renewals are currently more flexible, and in some cases, signed for a period of 2-3 years instead of the standard five years. An aspect which allows for cautious optimism, in terms of the gradual recovery of shopping centres and retail brands, is the shopping needs of Polish consumers. Although the growth of e-commerce in Poland is an undeniable fact, Poles still prefer shopping in the traditional manner,” summarizes Wysocka.

Joanna Tomczyk

Spring 2021

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MENNICA LEGACY TOWER WINS THE EUROPEAN PROPERTY AWARDS The Warsaw office complex, Mennica Legacy Tower, has become a winner in the European Property Awards competition, which gives recognition to the best real estate investments in Europe.

The project carried out by GGH in cooperation with Mennica Polska S.A. was recognised as the best investment in Poland and Europe in the “Commercial High-Rise Architecture” category.

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he Mennica Legacy Tower is a work of the renowned Chicago-based Goettsch Partners studio. The complex is a combination of exceptional architecture, state-of-the-art technology, functionality and top-quality finishing materials. These solutions were appreciated by the judges of the prestigious European Property Awards competition, which recognised Mennica Legacy Tower as the best investment in Poland and Europe in the “Commercial High-Rise Architecture” category. Additionally, in the

WHEN WE STARTED THE MENNICA LEGACY TOWER PROJECT, WE WANTED IT TO REFLECT OUR PASSION FOR REAL ESTATE AND OUR DRIVE FOR PERFECTION first stage of the competition, the investment was awarded in the “Commercial High-Rise Development for Poland” category.

The European Property Awards is one of six regional programmes that form the International Property Awards. It was established in 1994 and is considered the world’s largest and most prestigious competition, in which 130 countries participated last year and over £50 billion worth of projects were entered.

Cezary Jarząbek, Founder and CEO of GGH, said: “When we started the Mennica Legacy Tower project, we wanted it to reflect our passion for real estate and our drive for perfection. The result of our work is a building that is already setting a new trend in its category and has

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The Warsaw Voice

REAL ESTATE

become an icon of style and elegance. It is to our great satisfaction that Mennica Legacy Tower was appreciated by the jury of such a prominent international competition.

We are extremely proud of that. We are glad that our hallmark project successfully competes with other outstanding world-class projects”.

Joachim Schuessler, Principal of Goettsch Partners, commented: “We believe that buildings should reach beyond their sites to enhance and transform the urban experience. With its variety of rich programmatic experiences and its large landscaped public outdoor plazas and thoroughfares, Mennica Legacy Tower demonstrates how private real estate developments can positively impact the city. We are honored that the project was selected for this prestigious award.”

The win of Mennica Legacy Tower in European Property Awards is not the only recent success of the investment.

Open since November 2019, the West Building of the complex was awarded the final BREEAM certificate at the “Excellent” level. During the certification process, pro-environmental solutions and land development obtained the highest scores. In this category, the West Building received the maximum number of points. High scores were also given to, among other things: state-of-the-art building management systems, energy efficiency and the quality of materials used.

The Mennica Legacy Tower office complex, with an area of 65,963 m2, is composed of the 140-metre-tall Tower and the neighbouring 43-metre-tall Western Building. mBank is a main tenant of the Tower of Mennica Legacy Tower with 45,600 sq m leased for its new headquarters. The Tower of Mennica Legacy Tower will also feature offices of GGH and Mennica Polska S.A. The offer of the complex will be enhanced by retail and service spaces, which will be developed by the Meet & The Warsaw Voice

THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OF MENNICA LEGACY TOWER WAS DELIVERED BY THE RENOWNED ARCHITECTURE STUDIO GOETTSCH PARTNERS FROM CHICAGO Eat restaurant concept and Zdrofit fitness club.

Exclusive office tenant of West Building is WeWork, a global leader in coworking spaces. The WeWork offices at Mennica Legacy Tower are the largest “flexible space” to let in the entire CEE region. The retail and service spaces of the building will also house mBank’s flagship branch, a Carrefour minimarket, and a Gorąco Polecam bakery.

Both buildings of the project take advantage of advanced technological solutions which increase the efficiency of systems and guarantee the safety of tenants, as well as the latest mobile technologies, enabling their users to communicate with the building’s systems using a dedicated app installed on the tenants’ smartphones.

The architectural design of Mennica Legacy Tower was delivered by the renowned architecture studio Goettsch Partners from Chicago, which chose the esteemed studio Epstein to be its local partner. The general contractor of the investment is Warbud S.A. Spring 2021

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MERCEDES SUPPORTS WOMEN IN HIGH-TECH INDUSTRY Why do fewer women than men work with computers? There are equal rights, after all, and women constitute more than half of humanity. They also have great potential in terms of talent, skills and competence.

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he new technologies of the fourth revolution, Industry 4.0, require digital skills. In a rather drained labor market, there is a shortage of IT specialists, engineers and technical staff.

In Poland alone, employers are looking for about 50,000 programmers. European demand for engineers, process technologists and technical staff reaches 900,000.

Today’s generation of young women is the best educated in history. In Poland more women attend university than men (65% women, 60% men), and more obtain a degree. Every third Polish company was founded by a woman. In Germany, 38% of companies were set up by women, and over 40% in France. Maria Skłodowska-Curie was the only person in the history of science who received a Nobel Prize in two different fields (chemistry and physics).

Women’s participation in all areas of public life is a condition of both democracy and economic prosperity. Their knowledge, skills and experience, inclination for compromise and harmony in teamwork, responsibility, diligence

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and accuracy, guarantee companies faster development and higher profits.

So why is this enormous potential of knowledge and skills still not being fully utilized? Why aren’t women storming the better paid sectors like the economy, business and industry? After all, physical muscle power is no longer a necessity today.

These thoughts as well as an analysis of the labor market during the recruitment of employees for the factory in Jawor making state-of-the-art engines and batteries for Mercedes passenger models led the company to take action with the aim of activating women in the labor market and encouraging them to get a job at a facility based on elements of the Industry 4.0 program.

It was not easy at first. Raised in a small town that offers young people limited opportunities, insecure, often with little faith in their own abilities, young women are forced from childhood to believe that science and technology are mainly for boys. With such a background, how are they to find a dream well-paid job? How do we change the perception of women’s role in the labor market and give them courage to reach out for more?

Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Poland is working to demystify the new technology sector and open up to women.

“Today, 41% of our crew are women, while the average in our brand’s other factories is 15%. Headquarters can’t believe it. The factory architect has had to replace men’s locker rooms and rest areas with women’s rooms. The factory is a game changer in the region. Now even the soccer club in Jawor has a girls’ section for the first time in its decades-long history,” says Dr Ewa Łabno-Falęcka from Mercedes.

Young women outside of metropolitan areas do not see examples of successful women. Their plans are usually determined by their parents’ elementary and secondary vocational education. Schools outside large cities do not offer interesting education or career models.

“We wanted to provoke young women facing the choice of their future education path into considering why they The Warsaw Voice

The Warsaw Voice

Bolków, the European High School in Zgorzelec, and the Communal Center for Vocational and Continuing Education in Jawor have taken part in the project.

“I realized that in some situations you have to pluck up courage, overcome your fear and be active, because you gain greatly in the eyes of an entrepreneur. I also learned about interesting applications that developed my knowledge related to IT and technology,” remarks one of the participants.

SOCIETY

should not try working in a modern factory offering wellpaid jobs and personal development, i.e. a career definitely more interesting than following in the footsteps of their mothers or aunts who did not have such an opportunity,” Łabno-Falęcka continues.

The Girls Go Technology project was thus created together with the Kawałek Świata (Piece of the World) media agency. The aim was to dispel myths that technology is not for women and to convince young women that working in technical professions, stereotypically considered “male”, or studying STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) is within their reach.

Girls Go Technology is a two-stage project. Stage one determines the predispositions and talents of the female participants. Girls (about 80 students every year on average) attend a meeting to talk about the jobs of the future and their own skills. Those interested in becoming more familiar with technology then meet once a month for six months, to learn programming, mobile application development, self-presentation and confrontation under the guidance of experts, and to acquire public speaking skills.

They find out about the advantages and disadvantages of an innovative business, how to create one, and what challenges young entrepreneurs face. They create their first CV and get to know the job market. They experience what artificial intelligence and virtual reality are in an Industry 4.0 factory, learning that the digital revolution has eliminated the barrier of muscle strength, for example, and that a petite person is perfectly able to control a dozen-ton power unit using a computer. The program ends with the presentation of a certificate, an analysis of achievements, and recommendations for the participants.

All the graduates receive further support within the Girls Go Technology Academy. So far, students from the Wincenty Witos Group of Schools and Facilities in

THEY FIND OUT ABOUT THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF AN INNOVATIVE BUSINESS Surveys conducted during the three editions (2018, 2019, 2020) showed that as many as two-thirds of the girls, who mostly rated their knowledge of new technologies as “low” before joining the program, rated it as “high” and even “very high” after the workshops; a third of the girls want to continue their education after graduating from technical school, although they had no such plans before.

“We help young women obtain both digital competencies and soft skills such as creativity, flexibility, pro-activity, innovation, courage, and the ability to test new solutions and learn from failures. This will make them perfectly prepared and able to manage and coordinate all kinds of activities, including crises, in the future,” concludes Łabno-Falęcka.

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1 2 3

1/ New delights from Swiss beauty experts When the Swiss luxury cosmetics brand Valmont launched in 2016 the iconic DETO2X Cream it was a true revelation. Its innovative formula awakens the complexion like a breath of fresh air by capturing ambient oxygen and diffusing it into the skin. Now DETO2X Cream has a worthy companion - DETO2X PACK, a new energizing and effective face mask. Served in single-dose capsules it can be used anywhere, anytime to reveal a radiant face in just a few minutes.

These practical capsules are packed with potent ingredients to detoxify the complexion, oxygenate the skin, and wash away that drab texture. When exposed to air, DETO2X PACK immediately transforms into a creamy foam that spreads its precious attributes right to the heart of the epidermis. Crackling, sparkling, effervescent DETO2X PACK is a bubble of radiance that offers an unprecedented sensory experience with Valmont.

Drawing on the thousand resources of nature and in particular of Swiss nature and thanks to cutting-edge cellular cosmetic innovations, Valmont creates products and treatments that offer a visible and proven anti-aging effect.

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In pursuit of excellence, Valmont has also developed another new superstar product - HYDRA3EYE - a multi-use, ultra-fine gel emulsion for eye contour. This extremely powerful treatment, combining hydration and the most advanced anti-age technology, is able to erase small wrinkles before they set, correct the signs of aging, and combat dark circles under the eyes and other signs of fatigue.

HYDRA3EYE marks the first cosmetic application of Polymatrix DNA, Valmont-exclusive technology which brings together four ultra-hydrating agents and allows for three-stage deep hydration (immediate, delayed and long-term) nourishing the epidermis at every level. www.lamaisonvalmont.com/eu/en/

2/ Invitation to passionate tango French niche house Memo has launched Argentina, a new fragrance in the brand’s Art Land collection. A floral-oriental scent with a sweet and warm back, created by Sophie Labbe, wraps you in an elegant and delicate way where the sweetness of red rose petals and the hot, sensual aroma of oud meet to a tango dance.

Compiled by Marzena Robinson

BUTIK

The opening note of pink pepper is an energy boost which adds intensity to other ingredients on stage. The soft ambrette combined with jasmine and magnolia intoxicate with their richness while the balsamic warmth of cypriol and benzoin raises the heartbeat.

Launched in 2007 by Clara and John Molloy, the fragrance niche house Memo was inspired by their passion for adventure and travel. Memo sees fragrance as a journey, building its identity around magical destinations and intense raw materials, with natural ingredients of top quality. www.perfumeriaquality.pl

3/ Wake up younger Inhibit Retinol Eye Lift from Natura Bisse promises to fight the signs of ageing and fatigue surrounding the eyes. Inspired by non-invasive cosmetic solutions, this intensive night treatment helps relax facial contractions, which cause expression lines.

Formulated with an advanced peptide and retinol, this fluid works to minimize the appearance of wrinkles and provides a remarkable lifting effect on the upper eyelid. www.missala.pl The Warsaw Voice

MOTO

NEW CARS OF 2021 The life of the automotive world revolves around two seasonal events - autumn sales and spring novelties.

Compiled by Bartosz Grzybiński

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t the turn of each year we witness a special celebration of the pursuit of customers by automotive companies. On the one hand, they convince customers with discounted prices of models already on the market, offering additional equipment or arguing that they are proven and have an established reputation. On the other hand, they are tempted with new cars, which are in principle better, more modern and more fashionable. How to smoothly combine this time and prepare offers for sale and for novelty is known only to marketing specialists and public relations officers. Fortunately, customers benefit from this, as they make their final choice guided only by their own criteria.

Although the sale period is over, the time for novelties is still ahead. Already at the turn of the year many new models appeared on the market or underwent a facelift of the body, interior or equipped with new drive units.

The Warsaw Voice

Among this year’s novelties we can notice two definite trends.

The first is electromobility. Today, virtually every brand has at least one model with an electric drive and several models with a hybrid drive. There are both “soft” hybrids - internally charged - and “plug-in” hybrids with the ability to recharge the battery using an external charger. Some of the automotive brands such as Volvo are even announcing that from 2025 they will offer cars with only hybrid or electric drive.

The second trend that has been noticeable for several years now concerns the type of car body. For many years, the market indivisibly rule the SUVs, which today have their representatives in each automotive segment. Even city cars are styled as SUVs... Models with this type of body are still the most popular and willing to buy.

Here are some automotive novelties from different automotive segments. This is in no way a ranking of values, but only an example of the wide range of models available in Polish showrooms.

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DACIA SANDERO STEPWAY LPG N

ew Sandero and Logan III generation were presented in autumn last year. The models belonging to the urban car segment (B) were built on the modular CMF-B floorboard. The new Dacs are distinguished by modern and attractive body design and a spacious interior for their class. Finishing materials are varied and the fit of individual elements no longer raises any objections. The cockpit is clearly and ergonomically laid out.

The range of engines has been limited to a 3-cylinder, liter unit, which in the basic version without turbocharging (SCe) has an output of 65 hp. The turbocharged version (TCe) comes in as many as three configurations. There is a 90-horsepower version, a 95-horsepower version com-

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bined with a CVT automatic transmission and a 100-horsepower version with factory LPG installation. Dacia does not expect to introduce a diesel engine to the range.

There are three equipment versions to choose from.

The Access version is available only with a 65-horsepower engine and is priced at PLN 40,900. The next one is Essential for 45,900 PLN, and the top one is called Comfort (48,900 PLN). On the other hand, Sandero Stepway (4.10 m long) that is the version with raised suspension and plastic covers is available only with TCe 90 and TCe 100 LPG engines and Essential (PLN 53,400) and Comfort (PLN 56,900) equipment. Dacia representatives point out that for a 10 HP more powerful variant equipped with factory LPG, you need to pay extra only PLN 1,000.

The Warsaw Voice

MOTO

CITROEN C4

1.2 PURE TECH / 130 KM. EAT8

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he new third generation Citroen C4 is a classic compact car (C segment) with an avant-garde body style, styled as an SUV. The car that debuted last year goes on sale now. Citroen C4 is 4.36 m long and has a wheelbase of 2.76 m. This allowed space for 5 adult passengers. They have at their disposal a trunk with a capacity of 380 liters, and after folding the rear seat - 1250 liters. The interior is not only spacious but also functional. In the cabin there are as many as 16 storage compartments with a total capacity of 39 liters. There are even special holders for the phone or tablet. In addition, there are modern and advanced systems for driver support and passenger safety.

The powertrain uses three-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engines with different outputs, a four-cylinder tur-

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bocharged diesel engine and an electric drive in the EV model. Drive is transmitted to the front axle via a 6-speed manual transmission or an 8-speed “automatic”.

Prices start at £73,000 for the model with the base 1.2 Pure Tech petrol engine with 100 hp and manual transmission. Further available versions are: 1.2 PureTech/130 hp. with manual transmission - around 85,600 PLN, 1.2 PureTech /130hp, with EAT8 automatic - from 92,600 PLN, 1.2 PureTech /155hp, with EAT8 automatic - from 110,000 PLN. Additionally, two turbodiesels: 1.5 BlueHDi / 110HP, with manual transmission - from 83,450 zł. and 1.5 BlueHDi / 130HP, with automatic transmission EAT8 - from 101,200 zł. Electric EV 136HP model is an expense of about 125,000 zł.

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KIA SORENTO 1.6 T- GDI HEV T

he new fourth iteration of the Kia Sorento was officially unveiled last spring. The Korean SUV with a body length of 4.81m. belonging to the segment of the medium-high class (D) was created on a completely new platform, which allowed the introduction of a version with hybrid drive. In addition to its fuel-efficient engines, the advantages of this model include high comfort, solid assembly, a spacious interior and extensive standard equipment in four equipment levels: M, L. XL and Prestige Line.

There are three drive sources to choose from: hybrid, plug-in hybrid and turbodiesel. In the hybrid variant, power can go to the front or all wheels, while the plug-in version and the diesel variant only come with a two-wheel

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drive. The 1.6 T-GDI HEV hybrid has a combined output of 230 hp. and an electric range of about 50 kilometers, the 1.6 T-GDI PHEV version has 265 hp. and a range of up to 70 kilometers, and the 2.2 CRDI SCR turbodiesel has 202 hp.

The cheapest hybrid HEV version, with a six-speed automatic and front-wheel drive, costs less than 160 thousand zloty in the basic equipment version, and the model with both axles drive (AWD) costs less than 170 thousand zloty. The prices of the Plug-in Hybrid start at around 196,000 zloty for the basic version, and go up to just under 240,000 zloty for the Prestige Line equipment version.

The model with a diesel engine can be bought for less than 190 thousand, and with complete equipment in the Prestige Line version for less than 240,000.

The Warsaw Voice

MOTO

FORD EXPLORER PLUG-IN HYBRID AWD F

ord Explorer is the largest SUV in the brand’s European range. The sixth-generation Ford Explorer debuted in the United States in 2019, and it also hit European markets last year. Despite its sizable size (5.05 m. length and 3.02 m. wheelbase), this hybrid SUV handles very confidently, and thanks to its electric support - the gasoline V6 unit never lacks power. The spacious interior can easily accommodate up to 7 people and offers generous equipment and user-friendly handling. The minimum volume of the luggage compartment (with all passengers on board) is 240 liters, but when 5 people are travelling in the car, 635 liters of cargo space are available. After fold-

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ing all the seats in the 2nd and 3rd row we can pack up to 2,274 litres of luggage.

On the Polish market, the Ford Explorer is only available as a plug-in hybrid with a 13.6 kWh lithium-ion battery. The electric range is limited to 48 kilometers. Power goes to all wheels. The hybrid powertrain consisting of an electric motor and a gasoline “six” 3.0 V6 EcoBoost PlugIn Hybrid has a combined output of 457 hp. The Explorer with a 10-speed automatic transmission accelerates to 100 in 6.0 seconds, and can go a top speed of 230 mph.

The 2020 model year Ford Explorer costs respectively: PLN 366,000 ( with ST-Line equipment version) and PLN 367,500 (with Platinum equipment).

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VOLVO XC40 B4 AWD T

he Volvo XC40 is a compact class (C) SUV that made its market debut in 2017. It is also the first Volvo model to win the prestigious European Car of the Year award in 2018. Structurally, it is based on the new Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), and stylistically it follows the larger XC60 and XC90 models. What distinguishes the XC40 from its older brothers are its smaller dimensions (4.42 m. long) and a different, significantly larger rear pillar. In the cabin, an innovative approach to all-round functionality provides the driver and passengers with plenty of space. A 460-litre luggage compartment is available.

The XC40 is powered by three- and four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engines. The four-cylinder units are available in a hybrid version. The smallest three-cylinder engine marked T3 with a capacity of 1.5l gets 163 hp of power.

Drive is transmitted to the front wheels through a 6-speed manual gearbox or 8-speed automatic Geartronic (with the

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possibility of manual gear shifting). Four-cylinder engines are the so-called “soft hybrids” equipped with a gasoline engine with a capacity of 2.0 l and 197 hp and a supporting small electric motor with a capacity of 14 hp (version B4) or 250 hp + 14 hp in the version B5. Both versions work with an 8-speed automatic, but only the more powerful version has four-wheel drive (AWD). Plug-in Recharge hybrids are also offered, labeled T4 and T5. The front-wheel-drive (FWD) version of the T4 uses a 129bhp, three-cylinder, turbocharged 1.5-litre engine and a supporting 82bhp electric motor. The T5 version has all-wheel drive (AWD) and the same engine but with power raised to 180hp and an 82hp electric motor. These units are mated to a dual-clutch 7-speed Geartronic automatic transmission. The cheapest model Volvo XC40 T3 FWD with basic equipment Momentum Core costs about 136 thousand zloty. The most expensive version T5 AWD with R-Design equipment about 230 thousand zloty.

The Warsaw Voice

MOTO

PORSCHE PANAMERA SPORT TURISMO 4S E-HYBRID

P

orsche Panamera, is a four-door limousine middle-upper class (E) which had its debut in 2009. The “four-seat coupe” as Porsche called it with an unusual fastback body with its debut aroused admiration but also consternation among fans. The brand, however, developed this design by also introducing a station wagon version - Sport Turismo, described as a shooting break. In 2016, the second generation of Panamera appeared on the market - a year later also in a station wagon version. The five-meter-long car, with a wheelbase of 2.95m. refers in its next iteration even more to the design of the 911 model providing an unprecedented combination of performance and luxury. The Panamera Sport Turismo is powered by a variety of turbocharged petrol units, among them hybrids, which have already been used in this model since 2011. Since 2013, the

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Panamera Sport Turismo is also a plug-in hybrid with the possibility of charging the electric motor externally “from the socket”. The Panamera Sport Turismo range includes the models: 4 Sport, 4S Sport, 4 E-Hybrid, 4S E-Hybrid, GTS, Turbo, and Turbo S E-Hybrid. The technical parameters of the tested 4S E-Hybrid model provide excellent performance. The 560 hp hybrid system accelerates the car to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and achieves a top speed of 293 km/h. The 136 hp electric motor can be used to cover a distance of around 50 kilometers “silently”. Drive is transferred to all wheels via an 8-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission. The prices of this model? Adequate to the prestige of the brand. The cheapest version Panamera 4 Sport Turismo costs about 430 thousand zloty, the version 4S E-Hybrid about 570 thousand zloty. The most expensive one, Turbo S E-Hybrid costs over 940 thousand zloty.

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GREAT

Compiled by Bartosz Grzybiński

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1

1/ “Zawisza Czarny” - Polpora watch ”To rely as on Zawisza” - this phrase and its meaning are known to all Poles. Zawisza Czarny of Sulima coat of arms was a medieval knight, undefeated in numerous tournaments. Not only in tradition did he grow to be a symbol of chivalrous virtues, but also his name was eagerly adopted by the next generations of fighting Poles.

The Zawisza watch by the Polish brand Polpora can also be relied on. It is a traditional, mechanical timepiece model, equipped with a high-end Swiss mechanism with automatic spring tension. Attention is focused on the black, dominant color of the dial of the watch with an exposed Sulima coat of arms made in the form of a knight’s shield. On the dial of the watch there are also white, spiral, rotating elements of the seconds indication and the calendar.

These in turn refer to the archery shields 40

Spring 2021

from knightly tournaments. The dial with the Sulima coat of arms is slightly raised and bears the inscription “ZAWISZA CZARNY”. The watch has a polished steel envelope, a black genuine leather strap and a convenient butterfly clasp. www.odczasudoczasu.pl

2/ Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX Known for refined Scandinavian design and craftsmanship, Bang & Olufsen have used the best materials for Beoplay HX to create the most luxurious headphones, incorporating soft leather and polished aluminum for aesthetics as well as their ability to enhance comfort, acoustics, and durability. The arm sliders are made of anodised, pearl blasted recycled aluminium with a light brushed detail in the upper part. The disc is crafted from aluminium with a diamond spin finish which is nestled

within a polymer-painted recycled plastic structure, creating contrast between the alternating smooth and matte sensations.

Available in Black Anthracite, Sand, and Timber, Beoplay HX has a global three-year warranty upon registration, underlining the quality customers can expect when purchasing Bang & Olufsen headphones. wwww. bang-olufsen.dk

3/ Continental EcoContact™ 6 summer tire The EcoContact™ 6 is a modern summer tire that delivers up to 20 percent more mileage with 15 percent less rolling resistance than the previous EcoContact™ 5.

The tire features even more precise handling and shorter braking distances on wet and dry surfaces. Continental reduces vehicle energy consumption through low rolling resistance products. This includes The Warsaw Voice

GEAR 4

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the introduction of the Green Chili 2.0 rubber compound, which reduces friction in contact with the road. Continental used this technology in the production of the EcoContact 6 tire, which is now widely used in original equipment electric cars, but also hybrids where efficient and safe driving is a priority. Among other things, the EcoContact 6 features a polymer compound optimized for abrasion, but also a tread design that can withstand the increased driving forces in electric cars. www.continental.com

4/ MiVue 866 - car cam first with speeding information The number of places with sectional speed measuring is constantly growing, which is why Mio is the first brand to provide its latest models with a function that continuously informs and optimizes driving along The Warsaw Voice

a route where this type of control is located.

A driver who buys a DVR with this function will receive a sound and light alert while driving that the car is in or approaching a measurement zone. The driver will receive a similar notification if he drives too fast on the verified section of the road. The DVR will estimate the time and speed required to cover the route safely and without a ticket. It will also know the remaining distance to drive. This is possible thanks to the built-in GPS module, which continuously verifies the location of the car. All information is displayed on the camera screen.

In addition, the driver can be sure that the videorecorder will always have the most up-to-date information, because the manufacturer guarantees the current update of databases with information on the location of speed cameras and sectional speed measurement. This feature is available on Mio:

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MiVue812, MiVue 846, MiVue 866. www.mio.com/pl

5/ realme 8 - also for gamers The realme 8 smartphone is distinguished by its screen. This is a 6.4” sAMOLED FHD+ display with a convenient biometric reader, with very good color reproduction and viewing angles exemplary in its class. This model is also a leader when it comes to the battery used and the charging standard. The cell has a capacity of 5000 mAh and supports Dart Charge - it charges with a power of 30 watts. It takes only 65 minutes to charge the smartphone to full and work on the hardware for two days. The smartphone features a 64 MP camera, NFC, and an MTK Helio G95 processor. It is an octa-core unit that has enough power to make the smartphone enjoyable for mobile gaming fans as well. www.realme.com/pl/realme-8 Spring 2021

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IN BRIEF

Compiled by Bartosz Grzybiński 42

INNOGY GO! CLOSES ITS OPERATIONS POLAND’S ONLY ALL-ELECTRIC minute car rental service, innogy go!, is ending its operations in mid-March.

The cars will be gradually withdrawn from Warsaw streets, but customers of the service will still have a chance to drive an electric car. innogy go! is also announcing a partnership with Traficar for the development of electromobility.

The groundbreaking innogy go! service is the largest and only pure electric car rental service in Poland. It was launched in April 2019 by innogy Poland. The idea behind the project was, among others, to promote environmentally friendly transport in urban traffic and to raise awareness of electromobility and the sharing economy. For the first time in the history of the domestic

Spring 2021

automotive market, a fleet with such a large number of electric cars was created - a total of 500 BMW i3 cars.

“The innovative service in the form of electric car sharing has contributed to a growing awareness of eco-friendly means of locomotion. Unfortunately, at the turn of the last few months, the automotive and fleet market in our country was clearly affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Performance in the car rental industry in the last three quarters has dropped significantly due to limited mobility options and needs. This has prevented further development of our innovative project and the realization of our goals, which is why we have decided to terminate it, said Andrzej Poplawski, Head of Electric Mobility, innogy Poland.

KIA UP ONCE AGAIN THE SHARE OF KIA Motors in new passenger car registrations increased. At the end of 2020 it amounts to 5.63%. Last year Kia brand in Poland climbed 3 places in the ranking of new passenger car registrations, from 7th to 4th place. 24.113 new Kia passenger cars were registered in Poland last year. Kia’s number one on the Polish market is the Ceed model family (10,776 cars), other places on the podium belong to SUVs - the second is Sportage (4657 cars), and the third is Stonic (3054 cars).

From January 1, 2021 there was also a change in the position of CEO of KIA Motors Poland. Wojciech Szyszko has retired and Leszek Sukiennik has become his successor.

“CEO Szyszko leaves the company in very good shape. I look forward to working to maintain such an impressive growth rate of the Kia brand in our country. It is a huge challenge. However, a very good network of Authorized Dealers in Poland, a rich and modern model range of Kia, as well as debuts of models on new technologically advanced platforms, with ecological power units, planned already in 2021, provide huge opportunities. Opportunities understood primarily as increasing the popularity of the brand among consumers in Poland, which should translate into further increases in sales of Kia cars and an increase in market share of passenger cars,” said Sukiennik.

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PROLOGIS’ TOTAL PORTFOLIO in the Central Europe region (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary) amounted to 4.2 million square m, including 1.95 million square m in Poland. The portfolio occupancy rate for the full year remained stable at 94.5 percent, compared to 95 percent at the end of 2019.In Poland, it was 93.2 percent, compared to 93.8

percent at the end of 2019.Total leased space for the full year 2020 was 1.74 million square meters, up 27 percent year-over-year. Contracts concluded on the Polish market accounted for 53% of contracts signed in the Central European region.

“Customer focus, a top-quality portfolio and an excellent balance sheet were the factors that enabled us

IN BRIEF

PROLOGIS - AT STEADY LEVEL to provide full support to our employees, customers and business partners throughout 2020. At a time when our logistics properties are showing their resilience, we are focused on providing customers with tailored solutions to grow their business and take care of their employees,” said Pawel Sapek, senior vice president, head of Prologis Central Europe.

EVENT INDUSTRY ABOUT RETURN TO NORMALITY IN THE PAST YEARS THE EVENT INDUSTRY HAS provided 35 billion PLN of annual revenue to the state budget.

Each PLN invested in the event brought PLN 6 profit. The industry provided 220 thousand jobs. The meetings and conferences industry is the longest “closed” and one of the most affected parts of the economy. Government restrictions on the organization of events have been in place for over a year and it is unclear when the situation will return to normal. Online or hybrid events are partially replacing traditional events, but companies have yet to learn how to use their full potential.

Closely related to the events industry is the situation of the hotel industry, especially city and conference venues, which account for as much as 70% of the entire industry. “At The Warsaw Voice

many venues, event-related revenues have reached as much as 50% of the total. Shield 1.0, which 65% of hotels took advantage of, and other forms of financial support, as well as internal savings plans, are not enough. What will save the industry is the lifting of restrictions”, said Tomasz Piórkowski, regional director of Vienna House, in the debate “MICE industry in the lockdown trap. How to keep jobs and return to the market?” organized by propertynews.pl and the Council of the Meetings and Events Industry/TUgether. “There is a need for a clear plan to return to normality, which would allow to take concrete business and personnel decisions concerning each facility,” added the director responsible for the Vienna House facilities in Kraków and Katowice.

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THE

Jan Cybis - master of color

The Opera Gallery of the Wielki Theatre-Polish National Opera in Warsaw is hosting till June 30 an exhibition of works by the Polish colorist painter Jan Cybis. On display are over 40 paintings from a private collection in Vienna and memorabilia from the Silesian Museum in Opole, southwestern Poland.

C

ybis, like other colorists, painted mainly still lifes and landscapes. His paintings are characterised by their freedom of texture, color capacity and a characteristic, expressive application of stain. As a rule, colorists did not use the color black.

Cybis (1897-1972) studied art at Wrocław Academy, where he was guided by Otto Mueller, a former member of the Die Bruecke group of expressionists. Later, Cybis perfected his skills as a painter in the studio of Jozef Mehoffer and Jozef Pankiewicz at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, southern Poland. In 1923,

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he and a few other Pankiewicz’s students founded the “Komitet Paryski” movement (Paris Committee of Relief for Students Leaving for Artistic Studies in France) Next year the group left for Paris to continue their education. When they returned to Poland after seven years they became to be known as kapists (the Polish acronym for the Paris Committee), or colorists.

They were the ones to dominate the Polish painting scene in the interwar period.

Contrary to Polish romanticist traditions, the Kapists, who were under strong influences of French post-impressionism, underlined the independence of art from any historical tradition, symbolism or influences of literature and history.

Cybis participated in many group and solo exhibitions. He represented Poland at the Venice Art Biennale in 1934 and at the exhibition mounted by the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh in 1938. In 1937 he became editor-in-chief of the “Artists’ Voice”, a periodical that by this time had become the official publication of the kapists and colorists.

After WWII Cybis was appointed a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. He showed his works during solo exhibitions at Warsaw’s Zachęta National ContemporaryArt Gallery (1956) and at the National Museum (1965). He participated in numerous presentations of Polish art abroad, in Venice (Biennale, 1948), Sao Paulo (5th International1959), Brussels (Palace of Fine Arts, 1959), Stockholm (Royal Academy of Art, 1959), Paris (Musée National d’Art Moderne, 1961), Oslo (National Gallery, 1961), Essen (Folkwang Museum, 1962), Nancy (Musée des Beaux-Arts, 1967), Edinburgh (Scottish National Gallery of Contemporary Art, 1969), Chicago (1969), Washington, D.C. (1969), and New York (1969). A comprehensive retrospective of Cybis’s works was held at the Zachęta at the turn of 1997 and 1998.

The Warsaw Voice

BUZZ Zachęta National Gallery of Art in Warsaw is planning to open in May an exhibition entitled “Cold Revolution Central and Eastern European Societies In Times of Socialist Realism, 1948-1959.”

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he art of that period is generally reduced to images of cheerful workers or heroic representations of their work, imbued with faith in a bright future.

This, however, is only part of the visual production of socialist realism. In order to draw a fuller and more nuanced picture, the curators have reached for works that deviate from these stereotypical notions, often being far from propaganda enthusiasm, sometimes being marked by melancholy or anxiety. The works on display can shed new light on the cold, harsh realities of that era. They focus on the role that culture and art played in the creation of the socialist social order and valuing the new elites. Aware of the discrepancies between the images presented and the actual situation of social actors, they follow the fate of the workers - migrations from the countryside to the city, gaining a new professional position, redefining one’s own identity. With the selected works the curators have tried to capture the emotions accompanying them: enthusiasm, anxiety and disappointment. The exhibition shows the changing face of the working class: conflicts and tensions within this heterogeneous group, as well as its ambiguous attitude towards the authorities.

The title Cold Revolution obviously refers to the political context of the Cold and, above all, to the climate of the political freeze of the Stalinist era: acts of The Warsaw Voice

Cold Revolution from a different angle

arbitrary violence and fear. The term ‘cold’ raises also question of the degree of involvement of the whole society in the revolution of the 1950s and the temperature of revolutionary zeal with which the building of the new world began.

In the ‘cold’ climate of the 1950s growing international tensions and the strengthening of communist dictatorships - a social revolution took place in Central and Eastern European countries. It was a revolution in the sense of profound transformations leading to the establishment of new social hierarchies and the bringing about of a dictatorship of the proletariat’, strictly tied to the rapid industrialisation and urbanisation of this part of Europe.

The curators of the exhibition have undertaken a critical reflection on the

changes taking place at that time, illustrating their scale and dynamics using visual material from the fields of painting, photography, film, design and architecture.

On display are over 400 works from six countries of the former Eastern Bloc: Poland, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary.

The exhibition showcases works by such artists as Aurél Bernáth, Walerian Borowczyk, Hans Grundig, Renato Guttuso, Wojciech Fangor, Emil Filla, Arno Fischer, Jiří Kroha, Jan Lenica, Max Lingner, János Mattis-Teutsch, Andrzej Munk, Evelyn Richter, Willi Sitte, Henryk Stażewski, Władysław Strzemiński, Alina Szapocznikow, Jiří Trnka, Werner Tübke, Kurt Weiler, Andrzej Wróblewski and Karel Zeman.

Until 19 September 2021.

The Zachęta Gallery, Warsaw

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THE BUZZ

Masterpieces from the Vatican

at Warsaw’s Royal Castle T his unique exhibition at the Castle’s Royal Library was staged on the occasion of the centenary of the Polish-born Pope John Paul II and designed as a journey into the world of Christian values, faith, beauty and culture.

The first painting on display, “Madonna and Child between Sts Dominic and Catherine of Alexandria”, is attributed to Fra Angelico, who probably painted it around 1435. The painting was likely intended for private worship. It shows the Virgin playing with the Child Jesus, a very common iconography in Tuscany at the end of the 13th century. She is holding a rose, the symbol of wisdom. Kneeling in the foreground are St Dominic, founder of the Order to which Angelico belonged, and St Catherine.

Pope John Paul II beatified Fra Angelico in 1982, and two years later declared him patron of Catholic artists.

Another masterpiece, “Works of Mercy: give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger”, was painted by Olivuccio di Ciccarello in 1404 for the Church of Santa Maria della Misericordia in Ancona. The painting shows men giving jugs of water to poor pilgrims heading to Santiago di Compostella.

Two Christological works come from the 16th century. The majestic “The Redeemer” was painted around 1525-1530 by an outstanding artist of the Renaissance, Antonio Allegri, known as Correggio,. It was intended as the culmination of a triptych of mercy for the Church of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mercy in Correggio, where the artist came from. This unusual portrait presents Christ in his perfected body, such as is promised to the faithful in Heaven. The marks of the crucifixion are absent, the skin is perfect, and the body is well-muscled without looking as if it got that way through work or exercise. As in Orthodox icons, the figure’s eyes engage the viewer directly. The arms are extended as if to accept and mirror an orant gesture on the part of the viewer.

The next masterpiece “Trinity with the dead Christ” is a dramatic composition from 1590-1592 by Lodovico Carracci. It depicts God the Father holding his dead Son in his arms, surrounded by angels who bear the symbols of the Passion. The painting is considered to be one that gave rise to the Baroque.

Works on religious themes also include “Saint Matthew an the Angel” from around 1620 by Guido Reni and Madonna and Child by Giovan Battista Salvi known, from his town of origin in the Marche, as Sassoferrato. The painting from around 1650 shows the Madonna seated on the clouds with her feet resting on the half moon. She embraces the Child Jesus who holds in his hands a rosary that ends in a rose. Heads of cherubs rise from the clouds.

The seventh artwork on display “Astronomical Observations” from 1711 is the only painting with a non-religious theme. It consists of eight representations of the planetary system, according

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Seven master paintings from the 15th-18th centuries, lent from the Vatican Museums, can be viewed virtually at the Royal Castle in Warsaw until June 13.

to the knowledge of the time. The Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and a comet are shown in idyllic night landscapes. The landscapes were painted by Donato Creti, and the planets

by Raimond Manzini - a miniaturist who used a telescope to show them with scientific accuracy. The work was a gift to Pope Clement XI, a lover of astronomy, who, inspired by it, founded the Institute of Sciences in Bologna and the first observatory in Italy open to the public.

The exhibition also includes memorabilia related to John Paul II, paintings, sculptures, objects of worship that were papal gifts for Poland and those that were offered to him.

The Warsaw Voice

SPORTS

POLISH TENNIS STAR WINS AGAIN Iga Świątek, a 20-year-old Polish tennis player, who sensationally won the Roland Garros Grand Slam tournament in Paris last year, is getting stronger and stronger. On 16 May, in a phenomenal style, she won the prestigious tournament in Rome and thus, for the first time in her career, she found herself in the top ten of the women’s tennis racket.

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he final of the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome, traditionally the main test for the world’s top players before the French Open, ended in an unprecedented way in the history of the tournament. The Pole beat the higher-ranked Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic without losing a game.

The duel lasted just 45 minutes. Pliskova won 13 points the fewest in WTA history.

A day later, the Pole made her debut in the updated WTA rankings and is now ranked ninth in the world.

Born on 31 May 2001 in Warsaw, Świątek last year became the first Polish winner of a Grand Slam tournament.

In Paris, she accomplished the feat in style - without losing a set and beating Romanian Simona Halep, regarded as the world’s best on clay courts, 6:1, 6:2 along the way. Until that moment, the greatest achievement of Polish women’s tennis was Agnieszka Radwańska’s second place in Wimbledon (she lost in the final to the legendary Serena Williams).

Experts admire Świątek’s ultra-modern style, combining power with technique, excellent serve and powerful rotations. They also point to her mental toughness, unprecedented in most players. Tennis legends of recent decades, such as Chris Evert, John McEnroe and Mats Wilander, openly say that women’s tennis is beginning to see the “reign” of Naomi Osaka and Iga Swiatek. In their opinion, the Japanese and the Pole are to settle the Grand Slam titles and the question of world ranking leadership between them.

Iga’s results as a junior (under 18) have already heralded her world career. At the age of less than 16, she reached (together with Maja Chwalińska) the Australian Open doubles final, and a year later she became Wimbledon champion in singles and Roland Garros champion in doubles (with American Caty McNally) and gold medalist of the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games in girls’ doubles (paired with Slovenian Kaja Juvan).

The Warsaw Voice

Iga Swiątek poses with her team members after defeating Karolina Pliskova

After her triumph on the Roland Garros courts, a veritable rain of awards fell on Świątek. President Andrzej Duda awarded her with the Golden Cross of Merit “for sport achievements and promotion of the country”. The readers of the prestigious poll of the Przegląd Sportowy daily for the 10 Best Athletes of the Year decided that only the best footballer in the world in 2020, Robert Lewandowski, was better than her. The WTA awarded her two of its annual titles: Fan Favorite and Most Improved Player of the Year, while her coach Piotr Sierzputowski was named Coach of the Year.

This year’s edition of Roland Garros starts on 30 May, where Świątek will defend her title. Bookmakers’ ratings indicate that the Pole is considered the number one seed.

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