VOLUME 18, NUMBER 23 • JUNE 11-17, 2012 . z∏.12.50 (VAT 8% included) . ISSN 1233 7889 INDEX-RUCH-332-127

BBuuiillddiinngg ccoollllaappsseeThe builder of three of Poland’s Euro 2012

stadiums declares bankruptcy

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Since 1994 . Poland’s only business weekly in English

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Game onEuro 2012 has kicked off,with Poles and Polandbasking in the glow of theinternational spotlight

2, 3, 11

MMaarrkkeettiinngg mmiirraaccllee??How the Catholic church is using

modern techniques to sell itself

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News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-4

Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-6

Finance & Economics . . . . . . . . . . .7

Interview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-9

Opinion & Analysis . . . . . . . . .10-11

In Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-13

Society in Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Lokale Immobilia . . . . . . . . . . .15-17

The List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Lifestyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Last Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

In this issue

• Class-B offices

• Galeria Bursztynowa

• Polnord in Port Praski

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LLOOKKAALLEEIIMMMMOOBBIILLIIAARREEAALL EESSTTAATTEE

Sociologist Janusz Czapiƒskidiscusses the effect Euro 2012is having on the Polish psyche

Interview: Zbigniew Ziobrodiscusses his new party and hisrivalry with Jaros∏aw Kaczyƒski

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Outsourcingmatures

Poland’s outsourcing

market continues to

attract investment 6

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10,000

20,000

30,000

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50,000

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Bulgar

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Slovak

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Germany

Denmark

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**Highest in EU27*Lowest in EU27

JUNE 11-17, 2012NNEEWWSS2 www.wbj.pl

Schlussel’s

comments

anger Poles

Debbie Schlussel, a

well-known US

journalist, has had her

Facebook profile

overrun with comments

from Poles, who have

taken issue at a recent

article she wrote which

alleged Polish complicity

in the Holocaust. In the

article, Ms Schlussel

called the outrage

surrounding US

President Barack

Obama’s use of the

phrase “Polish death

camps” ignorant,

claiming that “Poles

murdered millions of

Jews and maintained

several death camps.”

“This wasn’t just the

Nazis. It was tens of

thousands of eager

Poles and more. Obama

made no gaffe here,” Ms

Schlussel wrote on her

blog.

RPP leaves

interest rates

unchanged The Monetary Policy

Council decided not to

change Poland’s interest

rates last week, with the

headline rate remaining

at 4.75%. The Council’s

decision was in line with

analysts’ expectations.

Only one out of 23

analysts surveyed

earlier by

Rzeczpospolita had said

that interest rates would

be increased again.

“GDP data have

confirmed a gradual

slowdown in economic

growth. In 2012 Q1,

stable consumption

growth was

accompanied by slower –

as compared to the

previous quarter –

investment growth,” the

Council wrote.

Poles change

opinion on

Kaczyƒski Polish opinion of the

country’s late President

Lech Kaczyƒski has

changed since he died in

the 2010 Smolensk

tragedy. According to a

recent survey by TNS for

Polish daily Dziennik

Gazeta Prawna, 57% of

those surveyed feel Mr

Kaczyƒski was a good

president, while 77%

believe he was a good

Pole. This a major shift,

as polls prior to his

death showed only

around 25% of Poles

approved of his role as

the country’s

president. ●

Acron ....................................................................................5

Allegro ..................................................................................5

Azoty Tarnów ........................................................................5

Jato Dynamics ......................................................................7

LOT ........................................................................................5

Microsoft..............................................................................23

Naspers ................................................................................5

Nintendo..............................................................................23

OLT Express ..........................................................................5

Onet ......................................................................................5

PBG........................................................................................5

Peter Nielsen & Partners ......................................................6

PGE......................................................................................12

PKN Orlen ..........................................................................14

Polsat ..................................................................................13

Ringier Axel Springer ..........................................................5

Sony ....................................................................................23

Tamka 43 ............................................................................22

TVN ..................................................................................5, 13

TVP ......................................................................................13

Warsaw Stock Exchange ......................................................5

X-Trade Brokers..................................................................20

With Euro 2012 now wellunderway the waiting is overfor Poland and Ukraine, andthe chance to deliver a suc-cessful tournament is nowupon both nations. The long-term aim of securing the rightto co-host the event was toimprove infrastructure, partic-ular in terms of road and railtransport, as well as to alternegative impressions aboutthe country and its people.

From the outset it seemsthat among both fans and theteams themselves, Poland isalready the favored destina-tion. Of the 14 foreign teamscompeting at Euro 2012(excluding Poland andUkraine) 12 of their soccerassociations have chosenPoland as their base countryfor the tournament, with onlyFrance and Sweden choosingto stay in Ukraine.

This was understandablefor Poland and the seven otherteams from Group A andGroup C, who will play theirgames in Gdaƒsk, Poznaƒ,Warsaw and Wroc∏aw. But forGermany, the Netherlands,

Portugal, Denmark and Eng-land, all of whom have threegroup games in Ukraine, ithighlights the fact that theyfelt Poland was better suited totheir needs.

Likewise, many tickets forgames in Ukraine went unsoldand were sent back by soccerassociations, whose fans hadbeen deterred by high travelcosts and fears for their safetyshould they travel to Poland’seastern neighbor.

Despite the negative pressthat has accompanied Polandin recent weeks, particularly inthe UK, where the BBC’sPanorama documentarysought to highlight the racismwhich exists within Poland’ssoccer leagues, the welcomeforeign players and theircoaching staff have received sofar seems to have already hadthe desired effect.

In Gdynia some 13,000people, the majority of themPoles, turned up to watch theRepublic of Ireland squad intheir first public training ses-sion last week, with a hugeIrish flag declaring “Welcome

to Gdynia” unveiled by localswho seemed delighted to havethe Irish squad in town.

The players themselvesseemed equally pleased withthe reception, with Ireland’scoach, 73-year-old Italian Gio-vanni Trapattoni saying at thetime, “These scenes today areso very special. I thank every-one for the welcome wereceived today.”

The England squad wasequally enthusiastic about thesupport in Kraków when theyarrived last week, with thou-sands of fans waiting at thecity’s airport and outside theircity-center hotel to greet Man-chester United’s WayneRooney and his teammates.

Arsenal and Englandwinger Alex Oxlade-Chamber-lain tweeted of the experience“Just got to the hotel, crazyreception when we arrived!”

If Poland can maintain thisfeel-good factor over the com-ing weeks, then the long-termimplications for the countryand its people can only be pos-itive.

DDaavviidd IInngghhaamm

6.7%is the share of the Polish population living below the

“absolute poverty” line, according to Poland’s CentralStatistical Office.

z∏.3.14 billionis how much the Treasury has earned so far this year

from privatizations.

12%is the proportion of Poles who think that adopting the

euro would be beneficial for Poland, according to arecent survey.

981,000was the number of passengers who flew from

Warsaw’s Chopin Airport in May 2012.

“It’s better to have bunga bunga than to abuse alcohol.”

Polish soccer team coach Franciszek Smuda as quoted by Polish daily DziennikGazeta Prawna. “Alcohol just blows my fuse,” he added. Coach Smuda hasapplied a strict alcohol ban on his team and was implying here that it is betterfor his players to spend time with women than to drink.

Quote of the Week

Strolling UjazdówOvershadowed by Park ¸azienkowski, it isa forgotten gem in the center of town. Thedistrict is filled with secret surprises andhidden glories. WBJ’s sister publicationWarsaw Insider takes you on a strollaround Ujazdów.

On WBJ.pl

Numbers in the News

Company index

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11 GEWINNEvent: The GEWINN Real Estate Conference is a

platform for commercial real estate andinvestments in Central, Eastern and South-eastern Europe – including Russia, CIS andTurkey.

Location: ViennaWeb: gewinn.com

12 KRAKÓW. OFFICES. INVESTMENTS. Event: This business breakfast is co-organised by

Jones Lang LaSalle and the British PolishChamber of Commerce. There will be a pres-entation called “Offices 2020” and a paneldiscussion with representatives of develop-

ers, bankers and occupiers from the Krakówmarketplace.

Location: Rubinstein Hotel, KrakówWeb: bpcc.org.pl

20 POLAND-US BUSINESS SUMMITEvent: This event will look at the business opportu-

nities for Polish-American Economic Cooper-ation in 2012 and beyond. Special guestspeakers include Deputy Prime Minister andMinister of Economy of Poland WaldemarPawlak and US Secretary of Commerce JohnBryson.

Location: Copernicus Science Center, WarsawWeb: summit2012.pl

June

DATELINE

Euro 2012 – changing perceptionsIN THE SPOTLIGHT

Figures in focusEarnings reportAverage gross annual earnings (in €) of full-time private-sectoremployees, 2010, selected EU27 countries

Source: Eurostat

Soccer

Euro 2012 kicks offThe world’s third-largest sporting eventwas launched inWarsaw amidst muchexcitement

Some 58,000 fans witnessedthe opening ceremony ofEuro 2012 at the newly-builtNational Stadium in Warsawlast Friday, before watchingthe first match of the tourna-ment between Poland andGreece.

From midday onwards thecity center was thronged withPolish fans celebrating the factthat such an important eventwas taking place in their homecountry.

To the delight of Poles, inthe first half their team playedto their full potential, andurged on by a passionate homecrowd they managed to go inat the break 1-0 up courtesy ofa goal from RobertLewandowski.

However, in the second

half a goal from Greek strikerDimitris Salpingidis made thefull-time score 1-1.

Prior to kick off, the open-ing ceremony consisted of a12-minute spectacle directedby Marco Balich who pro-duced the opening and closingceremonies of the 2006 TurinWinter Olympics. Hungarianpianist Adam Gyorgy per-formed Chopin’s Etude in Aminor, Op. 25, No.11.

He was accompanied byItalian DJ Karmatronic who

played a more modern pieceof music which he had com-posed with the Hungarianpianist.

The Polish and Greeknational anthems were thensung by 75 singers from theUniversity of Warsaw Choir,conducted by Irina Bog-danovich.

A million fans are expectedto visit Poland during the tour-nament as well as over 3,000journalists, while each matchwill be watched by an estimat-ed 150 million fans worldwide.

Golden gooseThe European soccer champi-onship is a guaranteed money-maker. It will generate an esti-mated $1.6 billion in advertis-ing revenue. Each match inthe tournament will generatean average of $51.6 million.

In comparison, FIFA madean average of $56.7 million forevery match in the SouthAfrica 2010 World Cup.Poland also stands to benefitfinancially. Financial websiteMoney.pl, using data suppliedby the tournament’s organiz-ing committee in Poland, esti-mated that visitors to Polandwould spend around z∏.800million while in the country.

Fifty-three TV stations allover Europe and in 32 coun-tries on different continentsaround the world will transmitthe tournament live.

RReemmii AAddeekkooyyaa

JUNE 11-17, 2012 NNEEWWSS www.wbj.pl 3

Euro 2012

OOppeenniinngg cceerreemmoonnyy aaiimmss ttoo ‘‘ttoouucchh hheeaarrttss’’

Natalia Kopytnik: The openingceremony of the Europeanchampionships is usuallymuch shorter than the cere-monies for the Olympics or theWorld Cup. Did the time frameinfluence preparations for theopening ceremony in Warsaw?Were any special considera-tions taken into account due tothe fact that this event revolvesstrictly around soccer? Marco Balich: Even though anOlympic ceremony may lastfor hours compared to the 12-minute show of Euro 2012,together with the FilmmasterEvents team, our expertiseand effort was focused onmaking this event memorableand unique, celebrating thenational soccer teams inPoland and Ukraine and con-veying UEFA’s values of unity,rivalry and passion. We want

to touch the hearts of the Pol-ish people and of all the peo-ple who will have the chanceto follow the event.

This is the first time an eventof this scale has been held inthis part of Europe. What roledid location play in the plan-ning process? The National Stadium in War-saw is one of the most beautifulstadiums in the world. I thinkthat there was no better placeto prepare such an opening foran event of this scale for thefirst time in Eastern Europe. Iam sure that this wonderfulstadium will contribute to con-vey the magical atmosphereand the emotions created bythe opening show. I have neverworked in Poland before and Ifeel very excited to work at theNational Stadium in Warsaw.

Adam Gyorgy played aChopin etude during theopening ceremony. Musicsuch as this is typically notassociated with soccer. Whatwas the reasoning behind fea-turing classical music in theopening ceremony?Music, and especially AdamGyorgy’s performance, aims totouch people’s hearts. Hebrought the pure classical tra-dition of Chopin into a sport-ing environment. Our desirewas to make people feel asexcited as we felt to preparethe show.

Some in the Polish pressquestioned the fact that MrGyorgy, a native Hungarian,was chosen to perform theChopin piece. Given the adu-lation Poles have for Chopin,some believe that a Polishpianist should have been cho-sen instead. Why did youchoose Mr Gyorgy in particu-lar?Mr Gyorgy recently celebrated

his 30th birthday with a sold-out concert at New York City’sCarnegie Hall. His music isappreciated all over the world.Why not choose him for theopening ceremony?

The opening ceremony has setthe tone for this historicthree-week-long tournament.Naturally, such an eventevokes strong feelings of com-petitiveness among fans andplayers. How did you try toreconcile this sense of rivalryand passion with the idea ofunity in the opening ceremo-ny? I think that [this tournament]is a great occasion for Poland.Together with the FilmmasterEvents team we thought of aceremony that was able to paytribute to every national soccerteam playing in Poland andUkraine. I am sure that no oldrivalries will affect the event.We consider sport as a valueable to unify all countries ofEurope. ●

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Marco Balich said the National Stadium is one of the

world’s most beautiful

Marco Balich, the creative director of the Euro2012 opening ceremony, spoke with WBJ aboutreconciling rivalry and unity, the use of Chopin,and how location influenced the celebrations

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Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring for Poland

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Polish and Greek fans

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Fans went wild in Warsaw

The police raided alarge amphetaminefactory last week

A total of 40 people weredetained by police last week asthe Central Bureau of Investi-gation raided an amphetaminefactory located 40 kilometersoutside of Warsaw, as well asseveral other locations.

The factory had reportedlybeen operating for over a year,producing amphetamines likely

destined for the Polish market. The Central Bureau of

Investigation has linked thefactory to an organized crimegroup based in the Wola dis-trict and as the search widensmore detentions are expected.If convicted the detained indi-viduals could face up to 12years in jail.

The police search revealedlarge quantities of

chemicals, ampheta-mines and

cocaine, a number of fraudulentdocuments, dismantled cars,weapons and piles of dollars andeuros.

Investigations into the drugtrade have been accelerated bythe Central Bureau of Investi-gation since September 2011,with those who transport inter-mediary supplies for the pro-duction of drugs being underparticularly strong surveil-lance.

The Institute of PublicAffairs reports that the Pol-ish government has becomemore involved in monitor-ing the drug trade afterpersonal possession ofdrugs was criminalized in2000. They increasedtheir efforts when anact was passed in 2005

on countering drugaddiction.

AAnntthhoonnyyAAddaammss

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JUNE 11-17, 2012NNEEWWSS4 www.wbj.pl

Illegal drugs

Forty detained in drugbust outside Warsaw

Poland close to EuropeanSpace Agency membership

According to the IndustrialResearch Institute forAutomation and Measure-ments (PIAP), formal discus-sions and technical consulta-tions concerning Poland’sentry into the EuropeanSpace Agency (ESA) havebeen concluded. Now allPoland needs is its govern-ment to approve the coun-try’s entry into the agency,which is Europe’s equivalentof NASA.

Membership of the ESAwill mean more than just pres-tige, since inclusion could also

lead to financial benefits forPoland.

The country’s governmentwill contribute over €500 mil-lion to the EU budget tofinance the ESA by 2020, ofwhich only 5 percent will bereturned if membership is notobtained.

Polish space enthusiastshave been collecting signa-tures as part of a petition toencourage Prime MinisterDonald Tusk to support entryinto the ESA.

“Only full membership ofESA will create hundreds of

new jobs in this sector for Pol-ish engineers, scientists andentrepreneurs. Previous Polishgovernments often ignored theproblem. You have an historicopportunity to introduce us tothe technological ‘first divi-sion’ and closer integrationwith Europe, creating measur-able economic benefits for ourcountry,” an extract from thepetition reads. If the measureis not approved this year, thenext chance to submit anapplication will not occur until2015.

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SESA membership could be financially beneficial for Poland

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The factory produced drugs likely destined for the Polish market

JUNE 11-17, 2012 BBUUSSIINNEESSSS www.wbj.pl 5

TVN has agreed to sella 76 percent stake tothe joint Swiss-German venture, inthe second-largestmedia deal ever in thePolish market

German newspaper publisherAxel Springer and Zurich-based media group Ringierhave agreed to pay z∏.956 mil-lion to broadcaster TVN for a76 percent stake in Onet,Poland’s leading internet por-tal.

After entering into officialnegotiations with the Swiss-German joint venture in April,Onet owner TVN agreed tothe deal, which will be the sec-ond-largest ever in the Polishmedia market, after Naspers’takeover of Allegro in 2011.

The Swiss-German jointventure has significantlystrengthened both compa-nies’ operations in the CEEregion with Ringier-AxelSpringer now holding con-trolling stakes in over 100print publications and 70online services, includingPoland’s leading tabloidnewspaper Fakt.

Florian Fels, CEO of Ringi-er Axel Springer Media, saidthat reaching an agreement on

the deal is an important step inits plans to expand its alreadystrong market position.

“The acquisition of Onet.plis a milestone for our fledglingcompany, and Onet.pl is anoptimal addition to our onlineportfolio. At the same time,after only two years, we havetaken a major step towardsachieving one of our mostimportant goals: the expansionof our strong market positionthrough investments in suc-cessful digital business mod-els,” Mr Fels said in a state-ment.

“Alongside each of its lead-ing tabloid newspapers, infuture Ringier Axel SpringerMedia will be running theclear market leader in three offour countries, in the area ofdigital media,” he added.

Warsaw Stock Exchange-listed TVN’s stock price rose2.5 percent to z∏.8.23 a shareimmediately after the takeoverdetails were made public. Nev-ertheless, although TVNnegotiated a good price,according to analysts, it willstill make an impairment losson the transaction.

The deal remains subject toapproval by Poland’s competi-tion and regulatory authori-ties.

AAnntthhoonnyy AAddaammss

Media

Ringier Axel Springerin z∏.956-million Onettakeover dealPoland’s third-largest

construction companyhas sufferedfinancially as a resultof its decision to investin Euro 2012infrastructure

Polish construction companyPBG announced last weekthat it had filed for bankrupt-cy. PBG, which is Poland’sthird-largest construction firm,has become deeply indebtedas a result of costs related toEuro 2012 infrastructure proj-ects.

The company, whichhelped build three out of fourstadiums for Euro 2012,blames difficulties connectedto infrastructure project con-tracts and intransigent banksfor its funding problems. Itnow hopes to reach an agree-ment with creditors to cut itsdebt by up to 31 percent.

PBG’s unconsolidated debtis valued at z∏.1.5 billion, saidchief financial officer Prze-mys∏aw Szkudlarczyk. Thegroup’s debt at its 12 creditingbanks is worth z∏.1.7 billion,according to Kinga Banaszak-Filipiak, a spokesperson forPBG.

Analysts have expressedworries that PBG’s announce-ment could negatively affectthe construction sector as awhole.

“The future of companiesfrom the industry depends to alarge extent on whether thecommissioning party, namelythe GDDKiA and the publicsector overall, will learn fromthis painful experience andchange the criteria for organiz-ing tenders and selecting ten-

der winners, and also for settle-ment of contracts to provide,for example, a contract revalu-ation option,” said Bart∏omiejSosna, senior construction ana-lyst at PMR Publications.

“Undoubtedly, construc-tion firms were excessivelyoptimistic in calculating thefuture costs of executing con-tracts and took on consider-able risk, which is now bearingfruit in the form of the prob-lems they face today with exe-

cuting road works contracts,”he added.

PBG had specialized in theoil and gas industry since itsestablishment in 1994 but itsdecision to venture outside ofits core business in order tocash in on the Euro 2012 build-ing boom has proved disas-trous. The builder’s stockplummeted just minutes afterthe bankruptcy news wasannounced.

AAnntthhoonnyy AAddaammss

Construction market

PPBBGG ffiilleess ffoorr bbaannkkrruuppttccyy

Turkish Airlines haspulled out of takeovertalks

Turkish carrier Turkish Air-lines confirmed earlier in Junethat it would not be making abid to buy a controlling stakein state-owned LOT PolishAirlines, leaving the PolishTreasury the task of finding anew potential buyer.

Announcing its withdrawalfrom takeover talks in a state-ment to the Istanbul StockExchange, the company saidthe deal would have made alimited contribution to itsmedium-to-long term plans.Moreover, Turkish analysts saythe carrier is too deeplyindebted for the purchase tobe a prudent one, and that, onan operational level, it is stillcoming to grips with its recentdecision to expand its domes-tic fleet.

However, it appears thatthe main reason for the sur-prising decision is that, accord-ing to EU law, an investorfrom outside the bloc cannotacquire a stake of more than50 percent in an EU-based air-line.

“I won’t deny that we wereupset,” LOT chief executiveMarcin Piróg, told Polish radio.

“I have already talked toour Turkish partners whoexplained that their main rea-son for halting the negotia-tions was that after speaking toour lawyers they understoodthat they would not have factu-al control over the company.”

For Poland’s Treasury,which owns a 68 percent stake

in loss-making LOT, the newsof Turkish Airlines’ withdrawalhas come as a blow. It will nowhave to find another suitor –probably from within the EU –fairly quickly if it wants to real-ize its plans of offloading itsstake by the end of the year.

If it can’t find a strategicinvestor, the Polish state is alsomooting the idea of floatingLOT on the Warsaw StockExchange.

In 2011, the Polish carriermade a loss of z∏.145.5 mil-lion, compared to a z∏.163.1million loss a year earlier. Forfull-year 2012, the companyhopes to register a profit ofaround z∏.52.5 million. Theairline is facing strong inter-national competition fromlow-cost carriers such asRyanair and, in its home mar-ket, from newcomer OLTExpress. GGaarreetthh PPrriiccee

Airlines

PPoollaanndd ffoorrcceedd ttoo sseeeekk nneewwbbuuyyeerr ffoorr LLOOTT

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PBG modernized the Municipal Stadium in Poznaƒ as part of a consortium

State-owned firms

Pressure builds inAzoty takeover The State Treasury isreportedly looking foranother bidder

Pressure is building on Rus-sia’s Acron to raise its bid forPolish state-owned fertilizermaker Azoty Tarnów, afterreports surfaced last week thatthe State Treasury was search-ing for a counter bid.

Last month Acron offeredz∏.1.5 billion for a 66 percentstake in Azoty Tarnów. TheState Treasury is AzotyTarnów’s largest shareholderwith a 32 percent stake.

Reuters said two unnamedsources confirmed that theTreasury was looking foranother bidder, with one say-ing it was hesitant about theoffer and was seeking a “whiteknight,” including domesticinvestment funds.

A Russian firm taking overa large state-owned Polish firmcould have some politicalimplications in Poland, wherea significant portion of thepopulation still views Russiawith suspicion.

In late May, Polish TreasuryMinister Miko∏aj Budzanowskisaid that the price offered byAcron was too low.

Meanwhile, the firm’s man-agement has taken a hard lineagainst the takeover bid.“Selling to Acron would not,in any way, be justifiable,” thefirm’s management wrote in astatement. “Acron’s bid hasthe characteristics of a hostilebid. [We] would also like tohighlight the potential risks forthe employees of AzotyTarnów and their familieswhich [this bid] entails.”

Analysts have said thatAcron’s offer undervalues thecompany, since it has goodlong-term prospects followingits purchase of several smallerchemical firms. Two differentanalysts told WBJ that theyexpected any offer that includ-ed a control premium to cometo over z∏.40 per share.

When WBJ went to press,the Treasury had still not con-firmed or denied its plans tofind a counter-bidder.

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LOT is facing strong competition in the airline market

JUNE 11-17, 2012BBUUSSIINNEESSSS6 www.wbj.pl

Contact: Miros∏aw Stefanik

ms@pnplaw.pl

Legal News

BROUGHT TO YOU BY PETER NIELSEN & PARTNERS LAW OFFICE

Temporary restoration of border inspections during Euro 2012Pursuant to the order of the Minister ofInternal Affairs, border inspection has beentemporarily restored on Schengen internalborders (Polish-German, Polish-Czech, Pol-ish-Slovakian and Polish-Lithuanian bor-ders, as well as at airports and sea ports)from June 4 until July 1 this year, in order toguarantee safety during Euro 2012.

Inspections are to be performed at ran-dom. Travelers taking benefit of their EUright to unrestricted movement have tocarry documents proving their identity andcitizenship. They are also obliged to pos-sess documents authorizing them to crossthe border (passport). If a person is consid-ered to pose a threat to national security orpublic order, a decision will be maderegarding whether to admit them.

Subcontractors better protectedOn May 30, the government accepted adraft of an act on repayment of unpaidclaims of entrepreneurs carrying out workas part of a public procurement contract.The act is to secure the interests of subcon-tractors in case of contracts for constructionwork performed within the frameworks ofpublic procurement contracts granted by

the General Directorate for National Roadsand Highways.

One of the basic assumptions is that theDirectorate should be able to pay the unmetfinancial claims of subcontractors, up to theamount of the guarantee for the proper exe-cution of the contract submitted by the con-tractor. The new regulations are to ensurethat subcontractors, whose work has beenperformed and accepted, have the chanceto obtain what they are owed even if thecontractor is to be declared insolvent.

Information on special economic zones acceptedOn May 30, the government accepted areport into the realization of the act on Spe-cial Economic Zones (SEZs). In 2011, thenumber of workplaces within these SEZsincreased by 16,800, 7.5 percent morecompared to 2010.

Most of the new workplaces were creat-ed by the following zones: Starachowicka(increase by 39 percent), S∏upsk (by 32 percent), Warmiƒsko-Mazurska (over 29 per-cent) and Mielecka (15 percent).

Since the zones began operating, entre-preneurs have invested z∏.79.7 billion inthem. The majority of the capital invested inthe zones (75 percent) has come from sixcountries: Poland, Germany, the US, theNetherlands, Japan and Italy.●

Outsourcing

A maturing marketCompanies based inPoland are re-investingto deliver higher-endBPO services

Poland’s outsourcing sector isin rude health, developing,maturing and delivering qualityemployment opportunities at atime when the economic crisiscontinues to pose serious ques-tions about the sustainability ofmany jobs.

Indeed it appears as if thedownturn is actually working inPoland’s favor, since Westerncorporations are continuing tomake outsourcing investmentsto reduce labor and rentalcosts. Between the crisis years

of 2009 and 2011, headcount inforeign service centers inPoland grew by as much as 50percent, according to Associa-tion of Business Service Lead-ers (ABSL) data.

“The crisis will probablybring new business to outsourc-ing companies, as happened afew years before,” said MarcinTchórzewski, vice president forPoland of US financial servicesprovider State Street.

Moreover, Poland hasreached a point where it is ableto offer both competitive laborrates and highly-skilled staffcapable of carrying out morecomplex services.

“East-Central Europe can

win many new contracts, as theregion provides lower costscombined with highly skilledspecialists, as well as security,and Poland is the strongestcountry in business services inthe region. What is interesting,many of the centers in ourcountry are the headquarters ofoutsourcing organizations forEurope or the EMEA region,”Mr Tchórzewski said.

ReinvestmentAn important emerging trendwhich suggests the Polish mar-ket is beginning to mature isthat companies already presentin the country are adding moreadvanced services, without lim-iting their current operations.Some 81 percent of servicescompanies polled by ABSLsaid they planned to do justthat within the next three years.

Indeed in early spring, BNYMellon, a provider of invest-ment management and invest-ment services, announcedplans to open a new GlobalDelivery Centre in Wroc∏aw,where staff will work in highlyskilled roles mainly in the areasof fund accounting and invest-ment operations. The scheme

will see the company build onits presence in Wroc∏aw.

“Poland is a central locationwithin Europe, offering high-quality staff and infrastructure,coupled with attractive eco-nomics and financial incen-tives,” said Michael Cole-Fon-tayn, chairman of Europe,Middle East & Africa.

Kraków qualityState Street, meanwhile,opened a new office in Krakówin May, adding to the two loca-tions it already has in theMalopolskie voivodship. With-in the next three years, thecompany will look to recruitapproximately 600 profession-als in Poland, as well as launchits Investment Analytics servicelater in 2012.

“We have chosen Kraków asan additional office locationfrom several other potentialbusiness locations in Centraland Eastern Europe,” saidJoseph C. Antonellis, vicechairman of State Street.

“The decision to locateState Street offices in Polandwas made after a detailedanalysis of localization factorssuch as availability of highly

qualified staff – experts able tomanage complex activities forinternational clients,” headded, pointing in particular tothe large number of well-quali-fied job candidates churned outby the city’s universities.

It is hoped the Kraków cen-ter will play a key role in thelong-term strategy of StateStreet, which aims to doublethe share of revenues generat-ed outside the US within thenext few years. It will also offerhigher-end business processoutsourcing services, in linewith the trend that is seeingPoland become a more sophis-ticated market.

“It is a key European loca-tion for fund accounting, secu-

rities valuation, exchange trad-ed derivatives and hedge fundadministration,” said MrAntonellis.

Advanced servicesAll evidence suggests the coun-try’s outsourcing sector is start-ing to mature and offer sustain-able, challenging job opportu-nities for the country’s laborforce.

“Poland has matured in themarket of advanced businessservices. More and more keyprocesses of the global econo-my are based in Poland, whichprovides the country with greatdevelopment potential,” saidMr Tchórzewski. GGaarreetthh PPrriiccee

From the point of view of BPO investors,Poland is an extremely attractive market,particularly when it comes to advanced serv-ices.

“Poland [offers] wide access to highly-skilled workers with a good command of for-eign languages. It offers a package of invest-ment incentives and has extensive modernoffice facilities and continuously improving

transport infrastructure,” said MarcinTchórzewski, vice president Poland of finan-cial services provider State Street.

“Poland is also a safe location that is sta-ble in terms of politics, economy and socialaffairs, which is very significant for suchinvestments. Our advantage is also the pres-ence of a number of strong academic centersin various parts of the country,” he added. ●

Advantage Poland

0

100

200

300

400

2011201020092008200720062005

High riseNumber of foreign services centers in Poland, 2005-2011

Source: Association of Business Service Leaders

Introduction of more advanced services whilereducing existing scope of services

No changes in the scopeof provided services

Introduction of more advanced services without reducing existing scope of services83%

13%

4%

Reinvestment Types of services provided in foreign centers in Poland (2011)

Source: Association of Business Service Leaders

The Economy Ministryhas submitted aproposal to keep themactive until 2026

A proposal to extend the lifes-pan of the 14 special economiczones (SEZs) in Poland wasrecently submitted to theSejm, the lower house of thePolish parliament, by the Min-istry of the Economy. Thezones are currently set toremain open until 2020, asstipulated by existing EU laws.The submitted measure aimsto extend this date to 2026.

The government has real-ized that it is crucial to keepthe SEZs as attractive toinvestors as possible, since

they act as major incentives forthe largest investment projectsin Poland. The fear is thatonce the zones lose their spe-cial status in 2020, investmentsin Poland may decline.

In a statement released lastTuesday, the Chancellery ofthe Prime Minister said that“special economic zoneswould be the only majorsource of new investments inthe next three years.”

Currently, one of the keyincentives offered by SEZs istax breaks. According to theministry’s calculations, inves-tors in Polish SEZs saved overz∏.4.9 billion due to tax breaksbetween 2007 and 2010. Still,the state earned z∏.3.3 billion

from SEZs over the same peri-od, mostly from income taxand VAT receipts.

So far in Poland, 60 percentof the total possible EU-stipu-lated SEZ surface area hasbeen developed.

EU funds designated forfinancing new investments for2007-2013 have already beenexhausted. The amount thatwill be available for 2014-2020has yet to be determined, andwill probably not be accessibleuntil the middle of 2015. This iswhy the government is so keento keep the SEZs open for aslong as possible. Legislation isalready in the works that couldpotentially keep the zones openindefinitely. NNaattaalliiaa KKooppyyttnniikk

Special economic zones

Government hopes to keep specialeconomic zones open longer

7

Manufacturing

Polish PMI fallsfor second monthin a rowNew export businesswas notably weaker

Poland’s Purchasing Man-agers’ Index (PMI) eased lastmonth to 48.9 points from a49.2-point reading in April,thus falling for a second con-secutive month.

A figure above 50 indi-cates expansion in the manu-facturing sector while any-thing below suggests contrac-tion.

New orders continued todecline, with new export busi-ness notably weak, while out-

put fell for the first time sinceJuly 2009.

“Having returned into thecontraction zone in April thePMI index in Poland fell fur-ther in May. It has been driv-en by a weakening output andcollapsing new export orders.The incoming euro-zone datapoints to this deteriorationlikely extending in the com-ing months,” Agata Urbaƒs-ka, economist at the Central& Eastern Europe division ofHSBC, wrote in a statementaccompanying the PMIrelease. GGPP

Slowdown to hit harder in H2 Analysts at Citibank expectthe slowdown to becomemore visible in the second halfof the year, after disappoint-ing recent macroeconomicnumbers. In their weeklyroundup, economists citedslowing growth of private con-sumption (households arelimiting spending due to labormarket deterioration) andslower fixed investmentgrowth (less infrastructureinvestment) as particularlytelling indicators.

The analysts said thatthey were sticking to theirforecast of 2.7 percent GDPgrowth for the full year (itwas 3.5 percent in Q1according to Poland’s statis-tical office) and expect moredepreciation pressure on thez∏oty. Regarding the secondhalf of the year, they said,“In our opinion the slow-down will become more evi-dent in 2H 2012 due to cutsin infrastructure invest-ment.”

They said they expectedinflation to gradually easeover the next few quarters.Regarding the weak z∏oty,they said, “Given relativelystrong reliance of GDPgrowth on net exports andsimultaneous weakness ofexternal demand we expectthe zloty could see additionaldepreciation pressures, espe-cially if the economic slow-down is accompanied by ris-ing risk aversion.”

AAKK

FFIINNAANNCCEE && EECCOONNOOMMIICCSS www.wbj.pl

47.0

49.5

52.0

54.5

57.0

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Industrial declinePoland’s PMI, May 2011– May 2012

Source: Markit

Polish car exports to fall this yearAfter a record 2011, the Polishautomotive industry is expect-ed to see a slowdown this year,due to lower demand inWestern Europe, reportedRzeczpospolita.

In January, exports of carsand car parts fell 4.5 percent

y/y to €1.5 billion, while inFebruary exports were down 3percent. For full-year 2012,exports are expected to dropby between €1.3 and €1.8 bil-lion, according to analysts.

“In the long term, this situ-ation may change when new

models hit the factories. Butthis year, improvements willnot occur. The export mar-kets are stuck in a recession,”said Andrzej Halarewicz ofJato Dynamics, a provider ofautomotive data and intelli-gence. GGPP

Foreign banks withdraw capitalIn the last three quarters, thevalue of funds in the coffers ofthe Polish affiliates of foreign-owned banks has dropped byz∏.15 billion – or 8.6 percent –of their overall value, Puls Biz-nesu reported.

Although this is not a mass

withdrawal, the Polish Finan-cial Supervision Authority(KNF) is troubled by thistrend. If not for the KNF'sactions, the foreign ownerswould probably have with-drawn even more fromPoland, the newspaper said.

There are signals thatmoney has been withdrawnfrom the CEE region, includ-ing Poland, in order for for-eign owners to meet new liq-uidity requirements which willbecome law at the end ofJune. RRAA

JUNE 11-17, 2012

European crisis

TTiimmee ffoorr aa SSppaanniisshh ddrraammaa??

Last week, Spanish FinanceMinister Cristobal Montorostated that although his coun-try can cope with servicing itsdebt, “European institutionsshould support Spanishbanks.” He added that “it isimportant for the EU to openup and help us achieve the aimof stabilizing the situation inthe banking sector.” He said

Spain was not asking for an“astronomical” amount and sothe EU should not have aproblem in preparing such anaid package.

Investment bank JP Mor-gan estimates that Spainneeds up to €75 billion torecapitalize its banks, al-though some other analystsestimate the figure at closer

to €100 billion. Spain’s borrowing costs

have been above 6 percent forthe past month, levels widelyconsidered unsustainable overa protracted period. Investorsfear that the Spanish govern-ment will have to cover some ofthe huge losses that the coun-try’s banks are expected to suf-fer on their property-loan port-folios, this at a time when itsbudget is already under pres-sure from a shrinking economyand rising unemployment.

George Osborne, the UK’s

chancellor of the Exchequer,seems to agree with Mr Mon-toro, telling BBC reporters,“You would need to sort outimmediately the situation inthe Spanish banking systemand resolve the uncertaintythere.”

Also, European InternalMarkets Commissioner Mi-chel Barnier said in Brusselsthat it is important to “adoptemergency policy measureswhere required, for example,in Spain, given certain bankingdifficulties.”

However, Spain has sincesought to downplay talk thatany rescue plan for its banks isimminent, with Economy Min-ister Luis de Guindos tellingreporters in Brussels that“there has been no [talk] ofrescuing [Spanish banks], andthat a review of the Spanishbanking sector’s needs wouldshow problems are “limited tocertain entities.”

So far, Germany in particu-lar has resisted calls fromSpain and other euro-zonecountries to allow Spanishbanks direct access to theEuropean Stability Mecha-nism, which has established tobail out European govern-ments with fiscal problems.

RReemmii AAddeekkooyyaa

An increasing number of European politicians– including some in Spain – are now openlysuggesting that the euro zone’s fourth-largesteconomy may need external financial aid

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JUNE 11-17, 20128 www.wbj.pl IINNTTEERRVVIIEEWW

The Polish right

An alternative to PiSEwa Boniecka: How would youdescribe Solidarity Poland’spolitical profile? Zbigniew Ziobro: I wouldstress that we are a party onthe right that emphasizes thevalue of national solidarity andnational identity, but is open inits character and is ready tocooperate with others.

In economic matters wefavor giving the free market achance, but we don’t close oureyes to the social divisionswhich have occurred in Polandover the last 20 years.

We favor a progressive sys-tem of taxation, not a flat tax,which is what [governmentcoalition majority party] CivilPlatform supports, and whichwas once supported by Lawand Justice.

While Civic Platform isdevoid of ideology – compris-ing members who are bothvery conservative and very lib-eral – Solidarity Poland is acoherent and modern conser-vative party.

In what way does SolidarityPoland distinguish itself from[Poland’s largest oppositionparty] Law and Justice (PiS),and how do you differ fromthat party’s leader, Jaros∏awKaczyƒski?Law and Justice is a party withdictatorial leadership. There isonly the will of Jaros∏awKaczyƒski, and everybody whohas his or her own opinion is

kicked out of the party, as wasmy case. In contrast, SolidarityPoland is more democratic,allowing for consultation inthe decision-making process.The leader has to take intoaccount the will of other partymembers. The mechanism ofdecision-making is so demo-cratic that I am the only partyleader in Poland who can beremoved from his position atany minute.

The other differencebetween our party and PiS isthat our attitude towardsproblems is rational, not basedon emotion. You can see thisin the way we criticize the gov-ernment’s policy in certainareas as well as in our attitudetowards foreign policy. Wefavor the idea of a Europe ofnations. We are wary of feder-alism in the EU, but we do notreact to the idea as if we wereallergic to it – we are open todiscussion.

In short, we are a party thatis willing to include somenuance in our approach tospecific problems, while main-taining our basic principles.

You contend that the emer-gence of Solidarity Polandwould increase the electoralchances for Poland’s politicalright, while Mr Kaczyƒskisays that your party isdestroying the right’s unity.How do you respond?The history of the last few

years should be instructive forthe Polish right. Jaros∏awKaczyƒski managed to buildunity on the right, but PiS haslost six consecutive electionswith him at the helm. In thelast election it did not evenmanage to gain more than 30percent of the vote, eventhough it did not have anycompetition on the right. So inmy view the only chance forPiS to gain power is the suc-cess of Solidarity Poland, andit is already clear that the pres-ence of our party is mobilizingPiS to do more. PiS will haveits own supporters, we willhave ours, and our competi-tion will mobilize more peoplewith conservative views to par-ticipate in elections.

The logical conclusion, then,is that if both PiS and Soli-darity Poland do well in thenext parliamentary elections,you would be ready to form acoalition. Is that right?We could cooperate, but onlyif PiS becomes more demo-cratic. We would not acceptthe dictatorship of a politicianwho is unpredictable in hisdecisions and then shareresponsibility for such deci-sions.

After Mr Kaczyƒskiannounced he would not runin the 2015 presidential elec-tion, you said you would runand be the “candidate of theright.” However, he has sincechanged his mind, and nowsays he will run. Do you there-fore plan to withdraw fromthe race?Absolutely not. My candidacywas decided upon by the

entire Solidarity Poland partyand as leader I want to run,and I must. I stick to my deci-sions, which differentiates mefrom Mr Kaczyƒski, whochanges his mind frequently.

The opinion polls show thatthere wasn’t a big differencebetween me and Jaros∏awKaczyƒski in terms of sup-port, so we proposed a “pri-mary” to choose one candi-

date from the political right.But this was rejected by PiS.We will return to that propos-al, counting on Jaros∏awKaczyƒski to do the wisething, and hopefully such a

Zbigniew Ziobro, the founder and leader of theSolidarity Poland party, sits down with WBJ totalk about how his party differs from Law andJustice, his break with Jaros∏aw Kaczyƒski andhis presidential candidacy

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Zbigniew Ziobro

JUNE 11-17, 2012 IINNTTEERRVVIIEEWW www.wbj.pl 9

primary could be held beforethe 2014 local elections.

Solidarity Poland’s level ofsupport stands at just around5 percent. How is the processof building party structuresacross the country going?Building our structures is a bigchallenge, but we have three-and-a-half years until the nextparliamentary election andtwo years until European Par-liament elections. We don’thave any funds from the state

budget – the system of politicalfinancing favors the big par-ties, who are becoming verybusiness-savvy and have a bigadvantage over smaller par-ties, which do not receive anystate support.

Nevertheless, we are over-coming obstacles and organ-izing meetings in manyplaces. In the bigger citiesthey are attended by manyyoung people with modernconservative views, in smallerones there are various gener-ations. I think that we willsucceed in building our partystructures.

In the previous European Par-liament elections you won aseat as a member of PiS. WillSolidarity Poland present itsown candidates in the next EPelection and are you going torun?We will present our list ofcandidates for the EP elec-tions and we have respectedand recognizable politicianswho will run. As the leader ofSolidarity Poland, I have torun, because the party and itsactivities are tested throughdemocratic elections. It willbe our first electoral test andmy candidacy in the presi-dential election does not pre-vent me from running for theEuropean Parliament. It’snatural in a democracy thatpoliticians change office, so Ido not see any contradictionhere.

But if your party fairs poorlyin the EP elections, your polit-ical position will be muchweaker. Do you see this as arisk?Of course, but there is plentyof risk involved in politics. Wehave consciously chosen toparticipate in all elections, andthe EP elections are the first inline. Big constituencies areestablished in those elections,so building the lists will not beso difficult and I am sure thatour well-known candidates,

including new ones such asBeata Kempa, will be success-ful.

Do you want to get away fromthe previous image of thetough sheriff you gained asjustice minister and prosecu-tor general in the [2005-2007]PiS government?My role in politics was linkedat that time with efforts toimprove security and to fightcorruption, and I was consis-tent in doing that. But now myrole is different. I have not for-gotten about my goals formaking Poland a country thatrespects the rule of law andthat has high standards forhonesty in politics. But theproblems facing me as theleader of the party are wider,concerning economic matters,social matters and health care.

A commission led by SLDpolitician Ryszard Kalisz hasrecommended that you betried before the State Tribunalfor your actions while youwere justice minister. How doyou see this situation?I know that this motion againstme has no merit. The variousprosecutors conducted in-quiries, the courts dealt withthe matter and all of themfound that the general prose-cutor’s office, which I led,acted lawfully. I would be verypleased to stand before theState Tribunal, because Iwould have a chance to pres-

ent my record on fighting cor-ruption – with free TV time,too. So from my point of view,it would be politically prof-itable, but I know that thismotion will not go any further.

The 2010 Smolensk disaster isan issue that is frequentlybrought up by PiS and stilldivides Poles. How do you seethe current state of affairs?We want to deal with thispainful matter in a profession-al way. It was a terrible tragedyand we should do everythingto explain what happened. Weknow that Russia is making itdifficult for Poland to gainaccess to all of the materials,and is harming Poland throughpromoting its version ofevents.

But what differentiates Sol-idarity Poland from Law andJustice is that we do not makesuppositions without hard evi-dence. PiS’s language, that weare “entering into a war withRussia,” because of its stanceon the tragedy, neither servesto explain what happened noradds to Poland’s internationalprestige.

If we were to gain power inPoland we would maintainassertive relations with Russia.We would firmly demand thereturn of the wreck of the air-plane, but we would presentour accusations according tofacts and documented truth,not according to our suspi-cions. This is possible on thepart of journalists, but thepoliticians should have anoth-er approach.

So our take on the Smolen-sk catastrophe is not the sameas PiS’s. We are very critical ofthe government’s work on thematter, and we think that theRussian side is partly responsi-ble for the catastrophebecause the Smolensk airportwas ill prepared and the peo-ple in the control tower gavethe wrong information to ourpilots. But if we are to claimthat it was an assassinationattempt, we should presentevidence. We want to explainthe disaster without over-whelming emotions, but alsoto come to a final conclusion.

It is the duty and obligationof our state to do that, but itstill has not been accom-plished. ●

“Law and Justice is a party withdictatorial leadership. There is onlythe will of Jaros∏aw Kaczyƒski”

Zbigniew Ziobro

Zbigniew Ziobro was born in 1970 in Kraków.He is the current leader of Solidarity Poland,but used to be deputy leader of Law and Jus-tice (PiS) before he was expelled from theparty in 2011. He was justice minister and pros-ecutor-general of Poland from 2005-2007,when PiS was in power. Mr Ziobro was a mem-

ber of the Polish parliament from 2001 to 2009after which he successfully ran for a seat in theEuropean Parliament.

He was known as PiS’s “sheriff” in the fightagainst corruption when he was justice minis-ter and was often accused of high-handednesswhile in office.●

JUNE 11-17, 201210 www.wbj.pl OOPPIINNIIOONN && AANNAALLYYSSIISS

Leszek Balcerowicz

P olitics and sports are often anincendiary mix, as the contro-versy now swirling around the

Euro 2012 soccer championshipdemonstrates. German ChancellorAngela Merkel, European Commis-sion President Jose Manuel Barroso,and other European Union leadershave all said they will boycott match-es held in Ukraine, owing to theimprisonment of former Prime Min-ister Yulia Tymoshenko and otheropposition figures.

Why, two decades after commu-nism ended and Ukraine gained itsindependence, does the countryremain mired in economic torpor andan authoritarian politics that hasaroused such ire in Europe? When acountry like Ukraine develops slowlyand remains poor, it is not because ofnatural disaster or resource con-straints. Bad policies pursued by badgovernments are to blame.

Limits to powerContrary to what many Westerneconomists think, the worst econom-ic breakdowns are not the result offree markets gone haywire, but ofexcessive concentration of politicalpower. To insure against the worsthuman and economic catastrophes,limits to political power must be

introduced and a system of checksand balances maintained.

Witness the divergence in long-run economic growth between theEuro 2012 co-hosts. Poland’s GDPhas almost doubled over the last 20years, while Ukraine is still barelymaintaining the output level record-ed during the last year of socialism.Generally speaking, Central andEastern European countries haveperformed better economically thanthe ex-Soviet countries (with theexception of the Baltic states).

Economic growth is a matter notjust of quality of life, but of quantityas well. Child mortality rates havedeclined in all Central Europeancountries over the past 20 years, espe-cially in Poland, where the rate fellfrom 17 per 10,000 live births toseven. In the Czech Republic andSlovenia, life expectancy hasincreased from 71 to 77, similar toother Central European countries.

In Ukraine, by contrast, under-five child mortality rates have fallenonly slightly, from 25 per 10,000 livebirths to 24, while life expectancy hasdeclined from 70 years to 68. Thesame stagnation applies to Russia.

Democracy is keyThe post-communist record shows

that the countries that reformed mostsuccessfully are also the most demo-cratic – indeed, as democratic as anyin the West. The worst economic out-comes in the region are found incountries that have diverged fromdemocracy.

Democracy is not a panacea, butnon-democratic regimes usually pur-sue worse economic polices thandemocratic governments do. The for-mer engage in predatory and unpre-dictable regulation, which produces abad business environment.

Another danger is heavy taxation.Official taxes are high when spendingis high. When spending is high, it isusually social spending that is badlytargeted, which means that only asmall share of poor people really ben-efit. Moreover, corruption paymentsshould be added to official taxation.It may turn out that most businessesare hit by heavy taxation of both vari-eties – so heavy that the economycannot grow, as appears to be thecase in Ukraine.

Furthermore, uneven protectionof property rights – crony capitalism –means that a small number of busi-nessmen are politically favored. Theymay pay lower taxes, or their com-petitors may be subject to raids by theauthorities. Because the state uses its

apparatus to deter competition –both informally, through arbitraryenforcement of property rights, andformally, through trade restrictions –crony capitalism is not only unjust,but also inefficient. Individual busi-nessmen may succeed, but the econo-my will not. Without competition,capitalism works only a little betterthan socialism did.

Clear separationA key ingredient of Poland’s success inthe last 20 years was a clear separation,from the very beginning of the post-communist transition, between politicsand business. There were uniformrules and equal protection for every-one. Poland introduced massive com-petition by dismantling monopoliesand opening its economy to the world.

Moreover, Poland avoidedextreme booms and the deep reces-sions that follow. Most booms areproduced by bad monetary and fiscalpolicies. This is true of the recentboom-bust sequence in Spain, Ire-land, the United States, the UnitedKingdom, Bulgaria, and the Baltics,among others. In Ukraine, too, ahuge boom in 2004-2007 was fol-lowed by a contraction amounting toalmost 15 percent of GDP in 2009 – adirect result of domestic policies.

Ukraine’s record over the past 20years demonstrates that it is notenough to abolish socialism. The realchallenge is to build free-market,rule-based capitalism. And, to dothat, an energetic civil society mustdemand an end to crony capitalism.Ukraine’s citizens can become more

like their Central European neigh-bors, or they can allow the economy’smany distortions from past bad poli-cies to persist, in which case they willfall further behind. ●

Leszek Balcerowicz, is the formerdeputy prime minister and finance

minister of Poland and a former president of the National Bank of

Poland. He is currently professor ofeconomics at the Warsaw School

of Economics.Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2012.

project-syndicate.org

T here is ample evidence nowa-days that financial systems,whether in Asia in the 1990s or

a decade later in the United Statesand Europe, are vulnerable to break-downs. The cost in interruptedgrowth and unemployment has beenintolerably large.

But, in the absence of internation-al consensus on some key points,reform will be greatly weakened, ifnot aborted. The freedom of money,financial markets, and people tomove – and thus to escape regulationand taxation – might be an accept-able, even constructive, brake onexcessive official intervention, but notif a deregulatory race to the bottomprevents adoption of needed ethicaland prudential standards.

Perhaps most important is acoherent, consistent approach todealing with the imminent failure of“systemically important” institutions.Taxpayers and governments alike aretired of bailing out creditors for fearof the destructive contagious effectsof failure – even as bailouts encour-

age excessive risk taking.By law in the US, new approaches

superseding established bankruptcyprocedures dictate the demise ratherthan the rescue of failing firms,whether by sale, merger, or liquida-tion. But the success of such effortswill depend on complementaryapproaches elsewhere, most impor-tantly in the United Kingdom andother key financial centers.

A different approachStrict uniformity of regulatory prac-tices may not be necessary. For exam-ple, the UK and the US may be adopt-ing approaches that differ with respectto protecting commercial banks frommore speculative, proprietary trading,but the policy concerns are broadlysimilar – and may not be so pressingelsewhere, where banking traditionsare different and trading is morerestrained. But other jurisdictionsshould not act to undercut the restric-tions imposed by home authorities.

Closely related to these reforms isthe reform of the international mon-etary system. Indeed, one might legit-imately question whether we have a“system” at all, at least compared tothe Bretton Woods arrangementsand, before that, the seeming simplic-ity of the gold standard. No one todayhas been able to exert authority sys-tematically and consistently, andthere is no officially sanctified andcontrolled international currency.

Arguably, the ideal of a well-defined and effective internationalmonetary regime has become more

difficult to realize as markets and cap-ital flows have become vastly largerand more capricious. Indeed, the glob-al economy, it is said, has grown – andemerging countries have flourished –without a more organized system.

But what is too often overlookedis that international monetary disor-der lay at the root of the successivefinancial crises of the 1990s, andplayed an even more striking role inthe crisis that erupted in 2008. Thesustained and, in a sense, comple-mentary imbalances in the US andAsia stand out.

From 2000 to 2007, the US ran acumulative current-account deficit ofroughly $5.5 trillion, with nearly sym-metrical offsetting increases inreserves in China and Japan. Chinafound it useful to run a large tradesurplus, using a very high rate ofinternal savings and inward foreigninvestment to support its industrial-ization and rapid growth.

By contrast, the US, in the face ofslow growth, was content to sustainexceptionally high levels of consump-tion at the expense of personal sav-ings, inflating a massive housing bub-ble that burst with a very large anddeeply disturbing bang.

The practical and inescapable les-son is that when any country is left toits own policy devices, its preferencesmay lead to prolonged and ultimatelyunsustainable imbalances. Sooner orlater, adjustment will be necessary – ifnot by considered domestic policy ora well-functioning international mon-etary system, then by financial crisis.

Not so long ago, we were comfort-ed by theorizing that floatingexchange rates would mediate inter-national adjustments in a timely andorderly way. But, in the real world,many countries, particularly but notlimited to small, open economies,simply find it impractical or undesir-able to permit their currency to float.

Surrendering sovereigntyWe are left with the certainty, how-ever awkward, that active participa-tion in an open world economyrequires some surrender of econom-ic sovereignty. Or, to put the pointmore positively, it requires a willing-ness to coordinate policies moreeffectively. The possibilities include:stronger surveillance by the Interna-tional Monetary Fund and a firmercommitment by countries to abide by“best practices” and agreed norms;direct and public recommendationsby the IMF, the G-20, or others, fol-lowing mandatory consultation; qual-ification or disqualification withrespect to the use of IMF or othercredit facilities (for example, centralbanks’ swap lines) and interest orother financial penalties or incentivesalong the lines under consideration inEurope.

But, if approaches that build onpast failure do not seem sufficientlyeffective, perhaps a new approachtoward currency fluctuations wouldbe more promising. That wouldrequire some agreement aboutappropriate “equilibrium” exchangerates, with a fairly wide band that

would allow for uncertainty and per-mit the market to exert its own disci-pline. But individual countries wouldorient intervention and economicpolicies toward defending the equi-librium rate, or, more radically, aninternational authority might author-ize aggressive intervention by tradingpartners to promote consistency.

An appropriate reserve currencyand adequate international liquidityrepresent another central concern.For years, the pragmatic answer hasbeen the dollar, and to some extentother national currencies, giving riseto complaints of an “inordinate privi-lege” for the US. But it is not in Amer-ica’s interest to accentuate and extendits payment deficits at the expense ofan internationally competitive econo-my with strong industry and restrainedconsumption. And the rest of theworld wants the flexibility afforded bythe currency of the largest, strongest,and most stable economy.

A useful reserve currency must belimited in supply, but have sufficientelasticity to satisfy the large, unpre-dictable needs that may arise in a tur-bulent financial world. Above all,confidence in its stability and avail-ability must be maintained, whichhighlights the practicality of a nation-al currency, or perhaps a variety ofnational currencies. ●

Paul Volcker is a former chairmanof the US Federal Reserve Board.

Copyright: Project Syndicate/FungGlobal Institute, 2012.

project-syndicate.org

UUkkrraaiinnee’’ss oowwnn ggooaall

“When any country is leftto its own policy devices,its preferences may leadto prolonged andultimately unsustainableimbalances”

“Non-democraticregimes usually pursueworse economic polices

than democraticgovernments do”

IIss gglloobbaall ffiinnaanncciiaall rreeffoorrmm ppoossssiibbllee??Paul Volcker

JUNE 11-17, 2012 OOPPIINNIIOONN && AANNAALLYYSSIISS www.wbj.pl 11

F rom June 8 to July 1, the atten-tion of the world will be fixedon Poland and Ukraine as they

co-host the Euro 2012 soccer champi-onship.

For the first time since commu-nism collapsed over two decades ago,ordinary people from every continenton earth will be reading daily newsabout Poland and watching Polishcities on their TV screens. Theimpression they get during thesethree weeks is likely to be the onethat will remain in their minds for along time to come.

Low expectationsMost foreigners are not expectingmuch, either from Poland or

Ukraine. In their minds this isEastern Europe, the continent’sbackwater where communism rulednot so long ago. Some wonder whyUEFA ever decided to award thetournament to these two countriesin the first place. All this is verygood news for Poland.

During a political debate, all thepressure is on the candidate who isexpected to do better. He needs todeliver the verbal knock-out or elsepeople feel disappointed with hisperformance. He needs to be per-fect.

Meanwhile, the candidate of whomlittle is expected is in a much better sit-uation. If he puts in even an averageperformance, people come away feel-

ing impressed because they had beenprepared for much worse.

Intertwined fatesThe same can be said for Polandduring Euro 2012. If the tourna-ment goes relatively smoothly, visit-ing fans and TV audiences will sit upand take note. They will be positive-ly surprised and probably end upgiving Poland some good word-of-mouth PR, exactly because of theirsurprise that things went so smooth-ly. Paradoxically, then, Poland couldactually end up benefiting a greatdeal from the negative perceptionsthat this part of Europe still con-jures up in the minds of many.

Poland is unlikely to stumble. The

danger, however, is that things mightgo wrong in Ukraine. Its infrastruc-ture is in poorer shape and many oftheir cities haven’t changed muchsince the end of the communist era.

Let’s not fool ourselves: for mostEuro 2012 viewers around the world,Warsaw might as well be in Ukraineand Kiev in Poland for all they know.This is a part of the world which sim-ply does not have any famous citiesand has not attracted much interestfrom the rest of the world, so ifUkraine makes a blunder, Poland’sreputation will also suffer and vice-versa. The impression left will be that“Eastern Europe” in general is stillbackward.

And so, those keeping their fin-

gers crossed for Poland to succeedshould be doing the same for

Ukraine. For if one fails, the otherwill also pay the price in the court ofworld opinion. ●

Remi Adekoya is Warsaw BusinessJournal’s politics editor. Read his blog,

“The business of politics” on WBJ.pl

“In their minds thisis Eastern Europe,

the continent’sbackwater”

EEaasstteerrnn EEuurrooppee’’ss rreeppuuttaattiioonn oonn tthhee lliinnee

A great number of foreign fanswho visit Poland this month aregoing to be surprised with what

they find. Poland is often (still, lam-entably) associated with babushkasand bread lines in the minds of manyWesterners. In Western Europe, thatstereotype is giving way to the “Polishplumber” trope – a hard-working,not-so-great-English-speaking immi-grant who does low-pay or blue-collarjobs – the types that have come overen masse since Poland joined theEuropean Union.

But when those people get off theplane at the new, modern terminal atChopin International Airport, andstep on to the newly opened rail linethat takes them straight from the air-port to the center of the city, it willcause no little shock. They will look atthe shiny new trains, with audiogreetings in English, Russian andGreek, and wonder if their plane hasindeed landed in Poland. It won’t beat all what they were expecting.

Not just grayRecently, a foreign journalist told meof a thought experiment he likes toconduct with his friends who haven’tyet been to Poland. “Close your eyes,and think of Warsaw,” he tells them.

Then he asks, “Did you just think ofthe color gray?” Invariably, he said,the answer is yes.

But what a surprise when fanswith similar ideas reach Warsaw’s citycenter to see skyscrapers like theInterContinental hotel and Rondo 1– and especially the soon-to-be fin-

ished Z∏ota 44, designed by noneother than Daniel Libeskind. It won’tbe all gray communist apartmentblocks (though yes, there still aresome of those) as they expected. Per-haps before the match they’ll take awalk down Krakowskie PrzedmieÊcie,and marvel at the beautiful statues

and churches, or take a stroll throughSaxon Garden (Ogród Saski), with itssculptures and 19th-century fountain.

Fans will have similar experiencesin Gdaƒsk, Poznaƒ and Wroc∏aw.Poland will be greener, more mod-ern, and generally more pleasantthan most expect.

They’ll find Poles are differ fromtheir expectations as well. Far from acountry of “Polish plumbers,”Poland’s economy contains a vibrantmix of IT experts, engineers, scien-tists, artists and entrepreneurs. Itsstudents are some of the best-educat-ed in the world.

And though the internationalmedia has chosen to focus on racismand anti-Semitism here in Poland,fans of all races and creeds will findthe vast majority of Poles open andwelcoming.

Of course, like any country,Poland has its share of problems.Unemployment is high, averageincomes are far lower than inWestern Europe, and while the stadi-ums and train stations have beenmodernized, there is still muchimprovement needed throughoutPoland’s entire infrastructure.

Racism is also an issue that mustbe dealt with, but its scale is far small-er than the BBC and Guardianreports would have you believe.

Fans coming here for the first timewill see all of this, and will bring backstories to their homelands, hopefullychanging some of the silly stereotypesabout Poland that persist.

Poland is a vibrant, modern, beau-tiful European country just cominginto its own. It’s about time morepeople realized that. And now, due tothis tournament, they will. ●

Andrew Kureth is editor in chief ofWarsaw Business Journal.

Read his blog,“From the editor” on WBJ.pl

KKiicckkiinngg aawwaayy oolldd sstteerreeoottyyppeess

Remi Adekoya

Andrew Kureth

CO-MANAGING EDITORGARETH PRICE(GPRICE@WBJ.PL)

CO-MANAGING EDITORALICE TRUDELLE(ATRUDELLE@WBJ.PL)

POLITICS EDITORREMI ADEKOYA(RADEKOYA@WBJ.PL)

REAL ESTATE EDITORADAM ZDRODOWSKI(AZDRODOWSKI@WBJ.PL)

SPORTS & LIFESTYLE EDITORDAVID INGHAM(DINGHAM@WBJ.PL)

JOURNALISTIZABELA DEPCZYK

CONTRIBUTORSE. BLAKE BERRYEWA BONIECKAPIOTR ÂLUSARSKIALEX ZARGANIS

COLUMNISTSANDREW NAWROCKIADAM NARCZEWSKI

INTERNSANTHONY ADAMSNATALIA KOPYTNIK

PRODUCTION MANAGERPIOTR WYSKOK

GRAPHIC DESIGNER¸UKASZ MAZUREK

MARKETING &SALES

AGNIESZKA BREJWO MARKETING &SALES DIRECTOR(ABREJWO@WBJ.PL)

MAGDALENA KARPI¡SKA(MKARPINSKA@WBJ.PL)

AGNIESZKA KUCZY¡SKA(AKUCZYNSKA@WBJ.PL)

KAROL KOSIOREK(KKOSIOREK@WBJ.PL)

PR & MARKETING SPECIALIST NATALIA ROGACZEWSKA(NROGACZEWSKA@WBJ.PL)

SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGERAGNIESZKA MICHALIK(AMICHALIK@VALKEA.COM)

PRINT & DISTRIBUTION COORDINATORKRZYSZTOF WILI¡SKI(DYSTRYBUCJA@VALKEA.COM)

BOOK OF LISTS SPECIALISTJOANNA RASZKA(JRASZKA@VALKEA.COM)

PUBLISHER VALKEA MEDIA SA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ANDREW KURETH (AKURETH@WBJ.PL) MANAGING DIRECTOR MONIKA STAWICKA

Editorials are the opinions of WBJ’s editorial board. Other opinions are those of the authors alone. Comments, opinions and letters should be sent to editor@wbj.pl. Please include a name and contact information and clearly indicate if they are to be considered for publication.

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Saxon Garden in downtown Warsaw

“When people arrive inPoland it won’t be atall what they areexpecting”

JUNE 11-17, 2012IINN DDEEPPTTHH12 www.wbj.pl

Religious promotion

Selling religionPiotr Âlusarski

The Polish church hasturned to modernmeans to win back itsflock

It’s called “The mp3 version ofthe Holy Bible” and it’s a newFacebook page run by Bene-dictines from Tyniec, in south-ern Poland. “A great solutionfor the overworked, for driv-ers, commuters and all thosefeeling the need to listen to theword of God,” reads thepage’s description. “We’reworking to refute the stereo-type that the scripture is diffi-cult and not adjusted to con-temporary people who lacktime to get familiarized withit,” the monks explain.

To make sure word of theirinitiative is spread offline aswell, Benedictines encourageall interested parties to save todisk, print out and put upwherever possible a specialpromotional poster. Accord-ing to the brothers fromTyniec, the initiative itself –which has to date gatheredmore than 7,000 fans on Face-

book – is the first of its kind inthe world.

Religious values are beingpromoted throughout Polandvia means usually associatedwith professional marketing.In the winter of last year,Gorzów Wielkopolski saw ahuge wall screen downtown,advertising the local parish ofSt. Maximilian Kolbe. Ataround the same time, thechurch of St. Stanis∏aw andBoniface in ÂwinoujÊcie held arock-music mass to attractlocal youths, and the Domini-can Campus Ministry, “Becz-ka,” in Kraków marketed Lentwith posters of attractive peo-ple wearing elegant clothing.“If someone asks why you’retarted up like that, have thecourage to say: ‘Because Ifast,’” Beczka wrote on itswebsite, pointing to the wordsof Jesus: “When you fast, putoil on your head and washyour face.”

Brand strengthThe latest report by pollsterCBOS shows that over 93 per-

cent of Poles consider them-selves Catholics, but only justover half of them (54 percent)attend mass at least once aweek. Some 20 percent do soonly a few times a year andabout 8 percent do not partici-pate in religious practices atall. This latter group is grow-ing and the phenomenon canbe observed particularlyamong young people, citydwellers and people with high-er education.

“The departure of [Pope]John Paul II … initiated theprocess of turning away frominstitutionalized forms of reli-giosity in our country,” CBOSanalysts wrote.

Still, as they emphasize,religiosity has been stable forthe last three years. One-thirdof those who partake in churchceremonies barely a couple oftimes a year and one-fourth ofthose who choose not to par-take in them at all, claim thatthey are, more or less, of faith.

In marketing terms, theyare believers who lack a “rea-son to believe” that they needto regularly visit a religiousbuilding to be of faith.

“RTB – reasons to believe –is what most brands trip up onby saying they have that magicsomething when in fact theydon’t. As soon as consumerssee it’s not there, they leave abrand behind,” said MaciejTes∏awski, rector of the Mar-keting Communication Acad-emy. “If the church is to sellpeace of mind then during

mass I don’t want prieststelling me who to vote for.This brings about a post-pur-chase trauma: I bought theidea of going to church butonce I got there I realized it’snot what I wanted to buy,” saidMr Tes∏awski.

Not only those who want tolisten to what is beingpreached from the pulpit areon the decline – those willingto preach themselves areshrinking in number as well.According to the National

Council for the Pastoral Careof Vocations, every year since2007 the list of submissions todiocesan and monastic semi-naries has been shorter by 50names.

Inevitably, the brand valueof the church is getting weak-er. The last Brand Asset Valu-ator study (2010) – a rankingof the most popular consumerand non-consumer brands inPoland – found the CatholicChurch occupied 112th placeand that it had suffered themost in recent years when itcomes to “respect.” Back in2004 it took 14th position, rightafter food company Knorr andjust before confectionerWedel.

“The time of shepherds iscoming to an end – now weneed to be fishermen,” stressedJesuit Remigiusz Rec∏aw.

Euro support

at 12% Fifty-eight percent of

Poles think that

replacing Poland’s

national currency with

the euro would be

detrimental to the

country’s economy,

according to a TNS

Polska survey. Only 12%

think it would be positive

for the country, while

22% think it would have

a neutral effect. Just 8%

expressed no opinion.

Opposition to adopting

the euro has grown by 3

percentage points since

the poll was last

conducted (from 55% to

58%).

Poles expected

to buy less

alcohol Alcohol sales in Poland

are expected to drop by

7.5% by 2016. Demand

for beer is expected to

decline by 9%, and 4.4%

for vodka, according to

estimates from the

Polish Spirits Industry

and the institute of

International Wine

Spirits Research (IWSR).

On the other hand, sales

of wine, whiskey and

mixed drinks are

expected to grow. ●

Calling on fish and fishermen

A group of young men stand on a soccerpitch. One of them rests his foot on Tango 12– the official ball of Euro 2012 – wearing longsocks and soccer cleats along with a tradition-al black church robe. Right next to himthere’s a logo of the Gdaƒsk TheologicalSeminary, while up in the corner a captionreads: “Join the team called up by God.”

This poster circulated in newspapers, oninternet portals and on the TV at the begin-ning of April this year. The pitch visible onthe poster is the one in PGE Arena – a newlybuilt stadium in Gdaƒsk, one of the eightwhere the European championship hosted byPoland and Ukraine is being held.

Apart from slogans and images targeted atregular churchgoers, a growing number of pro-motional campaigns have emerged to encour-age graduates to put on cassocks and habits. It’snot just about the fish; it’s about their futurefishermen as well. “Our vocational activitiesmay help make up one’s mind but it’s not asmuch a question of choice as a response tobeing chosen – by God,” admitted Rev. JacekKacprzak, prefect of the seminary in ̧ ódê.

That seminary is known for its unusualmarketing initiatives. Recently it has beenlooking for students on Facebook where a

photo of priests depicted as builders was post-ed. “Church under construction. Free admit-tance” reads the slogan that advertised avocational retreat for post-secondary and uni-versity students. Last year the ¸ódê seminarlaunched “Become a 48-hour cleric” cam-paign to reach out to all those willing to spendtwo days “for a trial run” within the academywalls and live like its members. “The mediainterest exceeded our expectations,” recalledRev. Kacprzak. Ultimately 15 peopleenrolled, including two from the UK.

Meanwhile, the orders are not fallingbehind. “Tough guy? No, a Jesuit,” says oneposter of a macho man with a dog-collar.“We’re no angels, we’re just doing their job,”claim Jesuits on another poster. Franciscansand Capuchins have similar ads too.

Fr. Remigiusz Rec∏aw – author of theaforementioned posters – said they’re aboutbuilding a positive impression, not makingpeople come in droves. “These are not salescampaigns,” pointed out Maciej Tes∏awski,rector of the Marketing CommunicationAcademy. “The image-building comes first,sales is only the second phase of the operation– just as image becomes desirable for a targetgroup.” ●

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Analysts found that the Catholic Church began to lose

members after the death of John Paul II

“The time ofshepherds is

coming to an end– now we need to

be fishermen”

Continued on p. 13 ➡

E U R O 2 0 1 2 F A N G U I D EBBEESSTT OOFF WWAARRSSAAWW

JUNE 11-17, 2012

Getting to know the capital

Official Fan ZonePl. Defilad. Open 10:00 am – 1:00 am(closing times will be extendedfor bigger games).

Built to handle 100,000 fans,the official Warsaw fan zonepromises to be the largest suchproject ever realized. Coveringa floor plan of 120,000 sqm,features include eight giant

screens for matches, two con-cert stages and 400 toilets. Setin the open spaces around thePalace of Culture, the zone hasbeen carved up among numer-ous sponsors, each of whichpromise something different:Carlsberg will be handling thebeer situation thanks to a two-floor bar, while a controversialMcDonald’s – occupying thespot slated for Warsaw’s Muse-

um of Modern Art – will tout amysterious contraption called a“Giant Passion Meter.”

Orange has revealed plansfor an open-air cinema, as wellas a Robo-Keeper at whomfans can crack shots at. Adidasclaims that if you come aroundto their corner, you’ve got achance of meeting players, andPekao Bank is on hand for cur-rency exchange, pre-paid cardsand other banking services.Alternatively, head toMasterCard for the ingloriouschance to be a ref for the day.Admission is free.

Carlsberg Fan Campul. Wybrze˝e Gdaƒskie 4,www.carlsbergfancamp.pl This temporary camp site/en-tertainment heaven includessoccer fields, big screens andaccommodation, as well as apalm-lined artificial beach,music stages, catering and, ofcourse, loads of Carlsberg beer.

The Rest Expect soccer overload in thepubs and bars of Warsaw, andyou’ll find expat haunts likeBradley’s, The British Bull-dog and Legends all packing

out over the course of thetournament. In the hotels,Champions (Marriott), Some-place Else (Sheraton) andHemisphere (InterContinen-tal) will also fulfill any soccer-viewing needs. Few places, ifany, have made a bigger effortthan the Warsaw Tortilla Fac-tory. Each and every game willbe complimented by a “HalfTime Variety Show,” withentertainment provided byMC Barry Solone, Africandrummers, soccer tricksters,body-painted party gals, cash-prize sweepstakes and a series

Everything you need toknow for a short stay inWarsaw 2-5

Your guide to the 16 teamsat this summer’s Euro 2012tournament 6-7

Poland’s glory days saw theteam reach a World Cupsemi-final in 1974 8

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In thissupplementEssential Warsaw . . . . . . . . .2-3

Insider recommends . . . . . . .4-5

Team profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-7

Polish retro soccer . . . . . . . . . .8

You might be thinking of locking yourself in adarkened room to watch the tournament fromthe sanctuary of your sofa. Forget it – the partyis out there waiting.

of live music acts. Aiming togenerate a carnival spirit,some memorable, wobbly-legged nights are completelyguaranteed.

AAlleexx WWeebbbbeerr

B R O U G H T T O Y O U B Y W A R S A W I N S I D E R

JUNE 11-17, 2012BBEESSTT OOFF WWAARRSSAAWW2 www.wbj.pl

Pushed for time? Warsaw Insider brings you thebest ways to get the most out of Warsaw

Personally speaking, I don’t need a timetable when I find myselffollowing England abroad. That’s always a one-dimensionalaffair with no planning required: Stake your territory with aBristol City flag, bask like a seal in a beer garden, fail to scoretickets then shout at a screen in a murky-looking dive.

Happy days, and certainly a schedule I’ll be keeping this sum-mer. Of course, not all visitors this June will be viewing Euro2012 as a jumbo-drinking challenge. And why would they? TheWarsaw of today is not short of attractions, sights and curiosities.With your time no doubt limited, we bring you the best:

DDAAYY 11MorningCentral Station: No matter how you arrive, you will passthrough Central Station. Opened on December 5, 1975, to coin-cide with Leonid Brezhnev’s junket to the 7th Workers’ PartyCongress, it was trumped as a triumph of socialism: out-of-town-ers mobbed the place to gawk at space-age touches like Italianclocks and escalators from France … the nation’s first vendingmachine, even. Constructed in under 1,000 days, sloppy work-manship soon became apparent, and in the following years thestation rotted into ruin. Now though, thanks in part to the Euro2012 tournament, this evil concrete underworld has been rein-vented with designer toilets and electronic timetables that meas-ure waiting times by the amount of cheeseburgers your guts canprocess at the nearby McDonald’s.

Palace of Culture: Resist the temptation to lose yourself in theattractions of the Fan Zone, and instead take a trip up Poland’s

tallest building. Built as a present from the Soviet Union (choosebetween a metro or a tower, they asked), it’s totally Gotham Cityin its brooding excess. Featuring 3,288 rooms, the highlight ofthis 231 meter monolith is the viewing platform perched on thetop: Stretch out to touch neighboring skyscrapers like DanielLiebeskind’s weird work in progress, Z∏ota 44, or the InterConti-nental Hotel: host to Europe’s highest pool.

Jewish Warsaw: Home to Europe’s largest ghetto duringWorld War II, the Nazis did a thorough job of erasing their dirtywork: Methodically flattened, the post-war Muranów housingestate was plonked on the ruins of the ghetto and today only frag-ments survive – a section of original wall on Sienna 55 (enterfrom Z∏ota 62), for instance. More recently, a dramatic installa-tion has been added to ul. Ch∏odna: illuminated at night, a trailof overhead lights mark the spot where a bridge notoriously con-nected the large ghetto with the small. The focal point of pre-warJewish life, however, was to be found on pl. Grzybowski, a trian-gular plot close to the Palace of Culture. A small maze of streetsleads to Warsaw’s only surviving synagogue (ul. Twarda 6), andnearby don’t miss a look at ul. Pró˝na – now rife with cranes andindustrial machinery, this was the only ghetto street to escape

obliteration. While one side is being busily redeveloped, theother offers an eerie glimpse into the past: propped up by wood-en scaffolds, the empty blackened tenements lean inwards on thestreet, lending a spooky feel to this part of town.

AfternoonCenter: Inch through the crowds to make it to Rondo deGaulle’a. The roundabout takes its name from Charles de Gaulle(who got stuck in against the communists during the 1920 Battleof Warsaw), and is easily recognized on account of its palm – fif-teen meters tall, the artificial tree celebrates its tenth birthdaylater this year. Titled “Greetings from Jerusalem,” the palm isintended as a reminder of Warsaw’s lost Jewish population, andprovides a stark contrast to the bleak concrete construction thatlooms in its shadow. That’s the former Communist Party HQ, ablockish building reputed to have underground tunnels runningto secret train stations. In an ironic twist the structure, whichincorporates masonry from Hindenburg’s former mausoleum,briefly served as the home of the stock exchange after the IronCurtain fell.

The Royal Route: Make your way to Stare Miasto (Old Town)by heading past the store fronts and cafe terraces of Nowy Âwiatand up the regal looking Krakowskie PrzedmieÊcie. It’s the sameroad Polish monarchs once followed on their way to and fromtown, and there’s still much to pause for. Composer FryderykChopin was raised around these parts, and while he’s famous forhis associations with France, home is where the heart is – literal-ly. Following his death his heart was pickled in brandy thensealed in an urn inside Holy Cross Church (Krakowskie Przed-mieÊcie 3). Tucked past the elegant Bristol Hotel find the Presi-dential Palace: the official residence of the big man in charge. In1955 it entered history when the Warsaw Pact – the red reply toNATO – was ratified inside. With Old Town already in view,spare a breathless few minutes to climb the viewing platform atSt. Anne’s Church (Krakowskie PrzedmieÊcie 68), before head-ing back down … deep down. The escalator on the other side ofthe street was the first in Poland. Opened in 1949, socialist reliefshave been preserved to this day, as have period signs warningrepeat offenders against using the escalators over and over (hey,there really was that little to do under the old system).

Old Town: If you’ve had enough of going up and down the esca-lator (naughty, naughty), then you could explore Mariensztat atthe bottom – a powder-pink housing estate that was a modelcommunist project. Alternately, head into the Old Town. Theentrance to it is announced by the statue of King Zygmunt, theregent who chose to shift the capital from Kraków to Warsaw.The original column, taken out by a German artillery round, lies

next to the Royal Castle. Leveled by the Nazis in 1944, the Old Town was skillfully

rebuilt using pre-war photographs and paintings as reference.Nowadays, you’d never guess that bits of it are probably youngerthan yourself. Frankly, there’s too many highlights to mention, sowithout sounding like a tourist comic the best idea is to let yourwhims lead you down the cobbles and the courtyards. There aresome unmissables though, those being St. John’s Cathedral withits echoing crypt, and the square itself with its Historical Muse-um – inside, view the story of Warsaw’s wartime destruction,before maybe heading down ul. Piwna to the Barbakan: an Ital-ian-designed brick fortress that marks the end of the Old Town.Warsaw’s most poignant memorial, that to boy soldiers killed inthe Uprising, is found on Podwale as you curve around OldTown.

EveningWarsaw’s Old Town is a tourist-exclusive district. Come night, thelocals head to the center – if you’ve packed some knockout after-shave join other predators and night owls as they prowl aroundthe clubs of Mazowiecka and others in its radius. After the club,convene to one of the all-night shot bars that have becomeincreasingly vogue – Meta, Pijalnia, Bar Warszawa and Przekàs-ki Zakàski are all great spots to raise a vodka and toast your sur-roundings.

DDAAYY 22:: MorningSet the alarm early – museum time! The Warsaw Uprising Muse-um is a standout, and does a sterling job of educating visitorsabout the tragedy of the Uprising – the ill-fated 1944 rebellionwhich resulted in “the death of the city.” Costing a quarter of amillion lives, the battle for Warsaw left 84 percent of the capitalin a heap of rubble. Using 3D CGI effects, a high impact filmtakes viewers on a five-minute aerial tour of the devastated city.If you’re keeping a “to-do” list, this should go somewhere at thetop. Joining its ranks in Warsaw’s Mega Museum League is theChopin museum, a place worth visiting even if you have no inter-est in the chap – reckoned to be one of the most hi-tech muse-ums in the world, it completely redefines the sightseeing experi-ence. Finally, the Copernicus Science Centre completes the BigThree, with hundreds of hands-on science displays that appealnot just to kids – let’s face it, who doesn’t want to return homeand boast they’ve experienced an earthquake or flown on amagic carpet. Yes, that’s exactly what awaits at the Copernicus.

Essential Warsaw

72 hours in WarsawS

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Take a trip up Poland’s tallest building

Alex Webber

JUNE 11-17, 2012 BBEESSTT OOFF WWAARRSSAAWW www.wbj.pl 3

Late AfternoonSaska K´pa: With kickoff approaching, head across Most Poni-atowski to amble around Saska K´pa, an upmarket district heav-ily sprinkled with Art Deco villas and Modernist mansions. It’snot rare to find locals declaring the area a “village within a city,”and yes, it does have that temperament. While low on specifictourist sights, it’s a quiet retreat from the madhouse downtown,and that’s especially true of Park Skaryszewski. Hiding amid thetrails and ponds find a string of memorials, including a commem-orative bolder honoring a British plane shot down while droppingsupplies during the Uprising. Only one pilot survived, and he waspresent when Margaret Thatcher unveiled the memorial in 1988.

EveningPraga: Of course, there’s an ulterior motive to luring you here.The National Stadium is bang next to Saska K´pa. While mostfans will plod straight back to the center after the final whistle,don’t think you have to. The right side of the river has becomesynonymous with nightlife, and the bars are its business card. In

Saska K´pa, Klubokawiarnia Towarzyska has become a hit withthe leftfield community, but for Warsaw at its rawest head to thebars of Praga. While this district has historically enjoyed darklocal press, in recent years it’s become the home to a thrivingcounter-culture, with hip bars flourishing amid artsy workshopsand creative projects. In this respect, ul. Zàbkowska stands outfor its edgy wall art and scattering of bars. W Oparach Absurdu(Zàbkowska 6) appeals on account of a shambolic design andBohemian bent, though to really capture the spirit(s) of this areavisit Czysta Ojczysta (Zàbkowska 27/31). Entered throughcreepy neo-Gothic gates, this former vodka factory is currentlyunder development. In the meantime, several of the outbuildingshave been utilized for weird and wonderful uses, not least CzystaOjczysta – a cavernous vodka bar with a “Bladerunner” back-drop.

DDAAYY 33 MorningOuch. There’s an off chance you may wake-up in a bush lookinglike a shot badger. Should that be the case, consider a replenish-ing visit to the park: Warsaw’s a green city, and her parks are herpride. To the south ¸azienki is breathtaking, and closely protect-ed by a battalion of peacocks. If you’re here on Sunday, checkout the live Chopin recitals which entertain once a week withinsight of his statue. And while there, wave at the Polish team –they’re staying across the road in the Hyatt Hotel. Saski Parkpleases in equal measure: opened in 1722, it was one of the firstpublic parks in the world, and her highlights encompass 21Baroque sandstone sculptures, as well as the Tomb of theUnknown Soldier – the one surviving element of what was onceSaski Palace.

More hidden, Warsaw University Library (Dobra 56/66) hasa splendid park positioned on the roof, though for the Insider’sfavorite little secret, check Osiedle Domków Fiƒskich (ul.Jazdów). Consisting of 28 wooden chalets, it’s an amazing hous-ing project in the center of the city: constructed in 1945 to housearchitects involved in the rebuilding program, the pre-built cab-ins were imported from Finland. Set against a serene woodedbackground, the sensation is akin to being teleported to a tinySwiss village.

AfternoonRetail therapy time, with serious shoppers advised to gravitatearound Mokotowska / pl. Trzech Krzy˝y. Designer names shoutfrom each awning, with major international fashion houses shar-ing the streets with upcoming local names like Maciej Zieƒ. Bou-tique unique indeed. But no trip to this area can be completewithout first exercising the credit card at Vitkac – Poland’s onlyluxury department store. Celebrate your splurge in the on-sitechampagne bar. For something totally different, then pencil in avisit to the Ko∏o Market on ul. Oboêna. Held each Sunday, thisflea market is legendary for its offer: antiques from various erasvie for space alongside war loot and communist keepsakes.

EveningThat’s it: Warsaw in a nutshell. Enjoyed it? Then say goodbyein style. Squeezed between the Old Town and the river, ajazzy looking fountain park amuses each night with choreo-graphed water displays that draw hundreds of onlookers.Then again, maybe drinks at the pub sounds like a far betterplan …

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The right bank of the Vistula is well known for its

interesting nightlife

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The Chopin statue in ¸azienki Park

India Curry isn’t just anotherIndian, it’s a standalone star

that merits celebration. Ofcourse, you probably knowthat already. Opened in 2002,it’s one of Warsaw’s oldest eth-nic performers, and a familiarname among expats.

Entered via a courtyard,there’s something welcomeand familiar about steppinginside – decorated with rattanfurnishings and clean stonefinishes, there’s an elegantlook that’s colonial in style.But interiors be damned, itwas the food we were here for,more specifically an in-depthinvestigation of their re-

launched menu.The fish tikka

proved an excel-lent starter, deli-cately spiced andcrispy at theedges. But it’sthe mains thatreally get you jiv-ing. The muttonbiryani is an out-right triumph,and perfectlypaired withsome chilled rajita – a coolcucumber/yogurt mix. Forsomething a little morenuclear, then order theMadras – spice is something

viewed with skepticism andsuspicion in Poland; here it’sclearly not. ●

ul. ˚urawia 22,www.indiacurry.pl

JUNE 11-17, 20124 www.wbj.pl

Walk into a Costa andyou’ll notice it’s a little

different to other coffee shops.Firstly, there’s the warm andwelcoming atmosphere. Thenthere’s the carefully chosenfood and authentic coffeedrinks. This is the perfectplace for meeting with friendsand is designed to answer dif-ferent needs and expectationsof customers. The key to theglobal success of Costa Coffeeis the unique taste of the cof-fee, appreciated for over 40years.

In 1971, a cup of CostaCoffee brewed with theunique Mocha Italia blend waspoured for the very first timefor customers in the UK. Ourbaristas use the Mocha Italia

blend to create a perfect cupof coffee, which perfectly bal-ances sweetness and delicatebitterness. The Mocha Italiarecipe is a guarded secret butthe taste is now enjoyed in allCosta Coffee stores in 25countries all over the world,

including Poland. Perfection isa standard at Costa Coffee . ●

You can find us in Warsaw atshopping mall Wola Park andWarsaw Eastern Railway Sta-

tion (Dworzec Wschodni).

Food & drink

TTaassttee yyoouurr ffaavvoorriitteeccooffffeeee iinn CCoossttaa CCooffffeeee

For two decades SanLorenzo has been earn-

ing accolades and praise asWarsaw’s number one desti-nation for Italian dining. Splitin two parts, the top flooroffers elegant dining insideextravagant belle époqueinteriors; especially popularamong romancing couplesand corporate diners, guestscan expect authenticity to thetee. That’s largely down toattention to detail: an Italianchef, original Italian prod-

ucts, fresh seafood and home-made pasta and bread. Luca,the head chef, is a professorof his art, and his master-pieces number fresh tuna tar-tar, Fiorentina steak andspaghetti served with half alobster. On the ground floor,proceedings are more infor-mal, and the café bar is a pop-ular meeting point whereItalian expats converge towatch soccer. Passions risethe moment the soccer isscreened, with the atmos-

phere pleasantly stoked bythe availability of over 100kinds of Chianti as well aswines from all across Italy. ●

Al. Jana Paw∏a II 36,tel. (22) 652 16 16

Food & drink

SSaann LLoorreennzzoo

Food & drink

IInnddiiaa CCuurrrryy

Bagno, if you didn’t know, isPolish for swamp, an inap-

propriate name for a venue ofsuch standing – when you thinkof swamps, you may think ofgreen, scary monsters emergingfrom sludge. So how about thisplace then, a hyper cool venuewith a minimalistic design thatfollows the credos that less ismore. Bagno works better insummer: With its stark designand great, big windows, all ittakes is a grey Warsaw day toplunge it into gloom. But boththe food and the wine hit thespot.

Clearly aimed at the officebods and condo residents

above, this chic number fea-tures a concise, seasonal menu:of the starters, the baked beet-root with goat’s cheese provedan unqualified success. Ontomains, and with them furtherevidence that Warsaw has final-ly shed its reputa-tion for poor qual-ity steak – our sir-loin was a hit,cooked to orderand compliment-ed by a velvetymushroom sauce.Would we order itagain? You betyour life wewould. All in all, a

very welcome newbie in anarea that’s finally stirring intolife. For sure, put this on any‘watch’ list you might be keep-ing. ●

ul. Bagno 2,tel. (22) 620 22 77

Food & drink

BBaaggnnoo FFoooodd && WWiinnee

BBEESSTT OOFF WWAARRSSAAWW

Traditional cuisine from theGreek Islands.

Dishes are based on origi-nal recipes which have beenpassed down by generationsand enjoyed by Venetians andTurks.

Tawerna Patris offers threeair-conditioned rooms, eachwith different interiors, a bigparking lot and affordableprices. ●

TAWERNA PATRISul. Wa∏ Miedzeszyƒski 407

(near the National Stadium)tel:22-357 11 11

www.tawernapatris.plbiuro@tawernapatris.pl

Food & drink

TTaawweerrnnaa PPaattrriissWalk into Na Zielnej and

it’s easy to see why theconcierges of Warsaw votedthis is as their ‘address toimpress’ in the Insider’s 2011Best of Warsaw awards. Foundin Warsaw’s first high-rise sky-scraper, what was a formertelephone exchange has beentransformed into a five-staraffair.

To the right of the lobby liesthe bistro, a classic ice whitespace interspersed with someindustrial elements. On theother side lies the more formalrestaurant, a two-room hauntdecorated with brushed bricks,stripped wood flooring and

violet dashes. Cooking becomesart here, with dishes incorpo-rating premium produce care-fully sourced from regionalPoland: fish from the lake dis-trict, pork from Z∏otnickaWhite pigs, and beef from Pol-

ish Red Cattle. Certainly a standout venue,

and a leader among the slowfood restaurants which haveemerged in recent months. ●

ul. Zielna 37,www.nazielnej.pl

Food & drink

NNaa ZZiieellnneejj

Brought to you by Costa Coffee

JUNE 11-17, 2012 www.wbj.pl 5

With a few exceptions, theOld Town does not quite

seem to be great restaurant ter-ritory. Enoteka Polska, locatedon the edge of the Old Town, isa unique place as a perfectcombo of traditional Italianrestaurant, wine bar and spe-cialised wine shop.

With a brilliant selection ofhand-picked wines from 44(only European) top wineriesand a menu of gorgeous Italiancuisine with authentic ingredi-ents, it is the ideal spot toescape the city and enjoy acasual, rustic vibe with a note ofdistinguished elegance. In addi-tion Enoteka's wine import pol-

icy allows for guests to enjoyoutstanding value for money.

Enoteka started in 2009 andhas collected some prestigiousprizes like “Best Newcomer2009,” “Best Wine Bar 2010”(both awarded by Warsaw Insid-er magazine), “Best Restaurant2009” (nominated by GazetaWyborcza) and the best score

among the Polish wineimporters on the Grand Prix2011 of Magazyn Wino.

Quiet, charming and satysfy-ing, Enoteka brings somethingenticing and unique to War-saw’s somewhat jaded diningscene. ●

ul. D∏uga 23/25,tel. (22) 831 34 43

Food & drink

EEnnootteekkaa

There’s more to Warsaw thissummer than the football,

the stadium and that cup every-one is talking about. Discoverthe hidden side of town on thistour with a twist. Journey toWarsaw’s hidden nooks andcrannies in an immaculatelypreserved communist era firevan, or a Fiat 125p: yep, exactlythe sort of car you’d have foundPoland’s retro football starspootling around in. Whetherit’s hidden pre-war remains, orobscure traces of Communism,Warsaw Behind the Scenes liftsthe lid on the city’s deepestsecrets!

Promising a total departurefrom your stereotypical tour,

your adventure penetrates themask of this emerging capital –and, along the way, expect to beenjoying some true hospitality:Polish style! Prepare for vodkashots and bites in locations thathistory has forgotten! Choose

from two tours: one starting at11:00, and another that peersinto Warsaw after dark startingat 19:30! ●

For more informationwww.warsawscenes.com,

Marcin 605 278 289

Warsaw is clearly on a roll;there were times when

it was easier to find a cookedowl than a good steak, so it’swith great pleasure to see thearrival of yet another top(m)eatery. Set in that anony-mous grey zone that straddlesMokotów and Ochota, thishaunt comes deep inside aswank new labyrinth of resi-dential/office new build. Youmight not expect much, to behonest, with any secret snobsliable to scoff at the online pic-ture menu. But prejudice is ill-founded – featuring a hip, pol-ished look this place could eas-ily have fitted in with the

design bars on Mazowiecka. The filet mignon is cooked

to perfection, and set off fire-works in the mouth. Dessert,meanwhile, includes a deca-dent chocolate pudding, and isan equally high-standardaffair. And with meaty mains

falling into the z∏.30 to z∏.50bracket, I’ve got no issues withpricing, either. Most certainly,here’s a new arrival of note. ●

ul. ˚aryna 2B (MillenniumPark, Building C),www.grill-co.com.

Food & drink

GGrriillll && CCoo..

BBEESSTT OOFF WWAARRSSAAWW

City tours

BBeehhiinndd tthhee SScceenneess!!

Bistro S∏ony Magda Gessler invites you for the best breakfast in Warsaw in themorning and for snacks served with wine and “shots” of lager in the eveningand nightWe recommend:• „Sznytki” – little canapés with spreads (also as takeaway and catering offer)• The best white sausage in Warsaw• Herring in different styles• Viennese specialties: leberkäse, debreciner and frankfurter sausages • Breakfast sets and breakfast a la carte. On the weekends served till 4 pm.• Wide selection of gluten free dishes

S∏ony11 Pi´kna St.(crossroads of Pi´knaand Krucza st.)

phone: +48 22 629 03 64,0048 506 052 093,

www.slony.pl;slony@slony.pl

Ma∏gorzata Potocka’s SabatTheater is the only place

in Poland where one can watcha Revue Show or a Las Vegas-style show that combines stun-ning performances alongside anevening of dancing and excel-lent food. After the perform-ance find the stage transformedinto a dance for our guests,while our singers perform someof the greatest hits from con-temporary times. Found in thecenter of Warsaw, we offer achic, elegant atmosphere insideextravagant Art Nouveau interi-ors that are unique to the city. ●

ul. Foksal 16,tel. (22) 826 84 21

Food & drink

SSaabbaatt TThheeaatteerr

Brought to you by Sabat Theater

Brought to you by Warsaw Behind the Scenes

JUNE 11-17, 2012BBEESSTT OOFF WWAARRSSAAWW6 www.wbj.pl

Group AThe Czech Republic

Overview: Aseries of under-whelming per-formances saw theCzechs come with-in a whisker of

being bumped into touch duringthe qualifying stages, and only aplay-off triumph over Montenegrosaved their campaign. But goal-keeper Petr Cech, while no longerthe invincible force he once was,will add confidence to a soliddefense, while the creativity ofTomas Rosicky always promises topose problems. With a healthynumber of traveling supportersexpected to make the short jour-ney to Poland, making it out of thegroup is a realistic target.

Where to Watch: U Szwejka (Pl.Konstytucji 1) / Czeska Baszta(Tower 22A, Most Ponia-towskiego). Prague street signsand pictures of the simpleton,Good Soldier Szwejk, adorn thewalls at U Szwejka, a restaurantserving traditional Czech food.Alternatively, head to CzeskaBaszta to try their 80+ brands ofimport lager.

The Polish Connection: In 1968accountant Ryszard Siwiec sethimself ablaze at Warsaw’s 10th

Anniversary Stadium (the site oftoday’s National Stadium) toprotest against the Soviet Union’sinvasion of the Czech Republic.

GreeceOverview: TheGreeks have comea long way sincetheir surprise tri-umph in Portugal,2004. Un-

fortunately for them, it’s been thewrong way. Faring dismally in theirlast international tournaments,they’re a side lacking charisma,flair and penetration – much liketheir 2004 squad, in fact. Theomens don’t bode well for thisside, but Fernando Santos’ teamwill be encouraged by a table-top-ping qualifying campaign thatincluded a home victory againstthe Croats. Defense still remainstheir strength, and unlocking itcould well present a stern test forthe other sides in Group A. Butany hopes Greece harbor ofadding to their trophy haul arereflected by the long odds beingoffered by the bookies.

Where to Watch: There’s a raft

of Greek restaurants in Warsaw,but few match Tawerna Patris interms of atmosphere.

The Polish Connection: Over12,000 Greeks fled to Poland dur-ing and after the Greek Civil Warin the 1940s, with the Polish gov-ernment settling the majority inthe town of Zgorzelec.

PolandOverview: MostPolish fans wouldbe happy to seePoland qualifyfrom their groupand avoid humilia-

tion in the next round. With norecent competitive games to judgethem on, their record in friendlieshas included a defeat againstLithuania and victory overArgentina – go figure. Head coachFranciszek Smuda needs to instilla level of consistency, and hope histeam of journeymen gel once thewhistle sounds. Gifted the easiestgroup of the lot, anything less thana quarter-final berth will beviewed as a disgrace.

Where to Watch: Tricky one.Expect everywhere and anywhereto be mobbed with face-paintedPoles tooting into plastic trum-pets: the fan zone, the pub, yourneighbor’s shed. For the seminalpatriotic Polish experience, hit¸azienkowska 3 – the LegiaWarszawa pub.

Did You Know? Better known fordark, chilly winters, Poland is alsohome to one of Europe’s last sur-viving deserts: Pustynia B∏´dows-ka. German military commanderErwin Rommel was so impressedby “the Polish Sahara” he chose totrain his desert troops there.

RussiaOverview: Russiawere the surprisepackage of Euro2008, advancing tothe semis having

played some thrilling soccer. Sincethen the talismanic AndreyArshavin has suffered a cata-strophic loss of form, yet even soRussia should have enough in thetank to make it through a weakgroup. From there they’ll need tobe rolling double six – with Italy orSpain as likely opponents in thesecond stage, they’ll need theGods on their side.

Where to Watch: The Russiansare rumored to be setting up theirown fan zone in Pole Moko-towskie, but if that doesn’t come

to fruition then head to folksyBabooshka for a stiff shot ofvodka.

The Polish Connection: MostPoniatowskiego, the bridge fanswill cross to reach the NationalStadium, was originally namedafter Tsar Nicholas II. In less than100 years this piece of Russianimperialism has burnt down once,collapsed another time, and beenblown up twice.

Group BDenmark

Overview: Den-mark start thetournament asrank outsiders,with some book-makers slapping

odds of 100-1 on them. Drawn in aparticularly scary group of death,not even the optimists are touch-ing this lot, and the subsequentlack of pressure could act in theirfavor.

Where to Watch: Poor Denmark.In a city full of niche bars andrestaurants, only the Danes lack aplace to call home.

The Polish Connection: Youknow that little mermaid that sitsin Copenhagen harbor? Well,according to some legends, she’sthe blood sister of Warsaw’s ownsyrenka.

GermanyOverview: Ger-many have under-gone a remarkabletransformation inrecent years: fromthe team everyone

loves to hate, to the team everyoneloves … to love. Gone is themethodical, mechanical approachof old, replaced instead by a slickpassing game that has seen theminstalled as second favorites.Coach Joachim Löw has a wealthof talent to choose from – as wellas a lethal front line – meaning theGermans are sure to enjoy a pro-ductive campaign.

Where to Watch: Adler (Moko-towska 69) is better known as a bitof a golden oldies Bavarianthemed eatery – their takings willsoar this summer.

The Polish Connection: In thewords of Basil Fawlty: “Don’tmention the war.” So we won’t.Instead, as Poland struggle tobreach defenses this summer, theirfans will wonder what could havebeen if Polish-born strikersMiroslav Klose and Lukas Podols-ki had opted to represent theircountry of birth ahead of thatcountry next door.

The NetherlandsOverview: Theneutral’s favorite.The Netherlandsbring with them arich reputation forgung-ho soccer,

dressing-room feuds and eccentricsupport. While coach Bert vanMarwijk has introduced a morebusinesslike approach to Dutchsoccer, they still look irresistiblegoing forward: With a side boast-ing Sneijder, Robben, Hunterlaarand Van Persie, we’re looking forplenty of thrills and spills to comefrom this lot, not to say a blood-and-thunder performance againstarch-rivals Germany.

Where to Watch: The diminutiveWiatraki (Warecka 8) regularlyholds mixers for Dutch expats andwill hit fever pitch this summer.

The Polish Connection: Artdealer Hendrick Uylenburgh, whomany credit for developing Rem-brandt’s career, was raised inKraków.

Portugal Overview: WhichPortugal will turnup the one thatstuttered to a 4-4home draw againstCy-prus, or the one

that destroyed Bosnia 6-2? Portu-gal are capable of scintillating soc-cer, but will require big perform-ances from their big players – ofwhich they have many. Still smart-ing from surrendering the final in2004, this flair side has developedfast under coach Paulo Bento, butwill need to learn to box cleveragainst the others in their group.

Where to Watch: Warsaw’s Por-tuguese expats will be gathering atPortucale (Merliniego 2).Wannabe Ronaldos can practicetheir diving in the Aqua Park closeby.

The Polish Connection: Accord-ing to one recent study, Por-tuguese resident/explorer Christo-pher Columbus wasn’t of Italianextraction, but actually the son ofW∏adys∏aw III, the exiled King ofPoland.

Group CSpain

Overview: Onpaper the currentEuropean Cham-pionship andWorld Cup hold-ers have the

strongest squad in the whole tour-nament with a team packed full ofoutstanding players. In fact man-ager Vicente del Bosque’s biggestworry may be actually trying topick a starting midfield from a tal-

ent pool including the likes ofFabregas, Alonso, Xavi, Busquets,Silva, Iniesta and Mata. And withChelsea’s Fernando Torres finallyback among the goals and regain-ing confidence it would be foolishto bet against the Spaniards goingfar once again this year. But as noteam has ever managed to retainthe Henri Delaunay Trophy, itappears that history is againstthem.

Where to Watch: Tapa y Toro (ul.Z∏ota 59). With a location next tothe fan zone, and a great outdoorarea, it’ll be nothing less thanpacked.

The Polish Connection: 13 Pol-ish footballers have played inSpain’s top division, La Liga, thelast of which was goalkeeper JerzyDudek who warmed the bench atReal Madrid for four seasons.

ItalyOverview: Sincewinning the tour-nament back in1968 the Azzurihave only reachedone final, Euro

2000, when they lost out to a gold-en goal by France’s DavidTrezeguet. This time around theItalians are something of anunknown quantity, with a distinctlack of superstars in their tourna-ment squad. In qualifying theyscored 20 goals and conceded justtwo in 10 games to sail through tothe final stages. But, in a groupthat contained teams such as Esto-nia, Slovenia and Northern Ire-land it was only to be expected.However, with the right blend ofyouth and experience, plus theunpredictable talent of madcapstriker Mario Balotelli in the campto ease the boredom on off days,Italy could potentially go far thistime around. Unlikely to win thewhole thing, they have everychance of reaching the semis.

Where to Watch: Ristorante SanLorenzo (Al. Jana Paw∏a II 36).Upstairs it’s a swank eatery. Thecafé downstairs though is popularwith noisy Italians cheering thesoccer.

The Polish Connection: ItalianPrincess Bona Sforza becameQueen of Poland in 1518 after shemarried King Zygmunt I. She did arunner after poisoning her son’sgirlfriend, and her ghost now pur-portedly haunts Czersk Castle.

Republic of IrelandOverview: Ire-land have onehuge advantageover the otherteams in Group C:their fans.

Onlookers can ex-pect the Irishsupport to take over Poznaƒ and

Euro 2012

Up for the cupThe waiting is over, and the time for heroes and villains isupon us. From June 8 all eyes in Poland will be focusedon Euro 2012. Without further ado, Warsaw Insiderpresents its dedicated rundown of who to watch andwhere to watch them

David Ingham, Alex Webber

JUNE 11-17, 2012 BBEESSTT OOFF WWAARRSSAAWW www.wbj.pl 7

Gdaƒsk this June as the Boys inGreen play in their first EuropeanChampionships since 1988. Sensi-ble analysis suggests that thegroup’s three other teams mayhave too much for this Irish sidebut with a backbone of experi-enced players, plus manager Gio-vanni Trapattoni at the helm, youcan never say never. If they can geta positive result against Croatia intheir opener then expect Irishoptimism to go through the roof.

Where to Watch: Bradley’s (ul.Sienna 39) remains the No. 1 Irishpub in town. It’ll be mad.

The Polish Connection: Polishis the most commonly spoken for-eign language in Ireland accordingto the country’s 2011 census.

CroatiaOverview: Famedfor their skillfulplay and fanaticalfans, Croatiaalways add a bit ofexcitement to any

major international tournament.Currently led by a chain smoking,guitar playing, law graduate – for-mer Premier League defenderSlaven Bilic – the Croats have adecent record in the EuropeanChampionships since first beingaccepted into UEFA back in 1993.This time around they will do wellto match their two quarterfinalappearances, which occurred in1996 and 2008, but with Totten-ham midfielders Niko Kranjcarand Luka Modric pulling the

strings in midfield, creating goalsshouldn’t be a problem. If they areto progress through the group itlooks likely they’ll need to beatIreland and get at least a drawagainst either Spain or Italy.

Where to Watch: Guccio Dam-agoj (ul. Suzina 8). Located in aformer cinema and run by a Croatwho has resided in Poland for thepast six years, this little restaurantoffers top-quality Croatian wineand food.

The Polish Connection: Croatiaended Poland’s hopes of qualifyingthrough the group stages of Euro2008 with a one-nil win in Klagen-furt four years ago.

Group DEngland

Overview: Sensi-ble analysis ofEngland’s chanceswould suggest acountry which hasfailed to even get

to the final of a major tournamentsince 1966 has absolutely nochance of winning Euro 2012.Without Wayne Rooney for thefirst two matches, a new managerwho’s had just a month to preparethe team and a bunch of pamperedplayers who don’t give a hoot,more woe could be on the way forthe country’s long-suffering faith-ful. But then again English peoplenever have been sensible when itcomes to analysis of their own

team’s chances. Buoyed byChelsea’s success in the Champi-ons League, and a thrilling finishto the domestic league, nationalconfidence is sky high – if Englandwin their first game expect the redand white mist to descend andeven the most hesitant fans to pre-dict England in the final.

Where to Watch: Legends (ul.Emilia Plater 25) and The BritishBulldog Pub (ul. Krucza 42) willgo head-to-head to draw the exilesthrough the door. If rumors are tobe believed, you’ll find the Bulldogopen 24/7 for the bigger matches.

The Polish Connection: TheGreat Escape: the daring breakaway of British troops from NaziPOW camp Stalag Luft III –immortalized in the SteveMcQueen film of the same name –took place in ˚agaƒ, 150 clicksfrom Poznaƒ.

UkraineO v e r v i e w :Ukraine won’t befancied by many atthis year’s Eurosgiven that theirrecent results have

been mixed at best. But as is oftenthe case in tournaments, when thehome nation play the form book isthrown out of the window.Remember South Korea in 2002?Ukraine’s fans will definitely bekey to the co-host’s potentialprogress. The influence of the1975 European Footballer of theYear and current head coach, Oleg

Blokhin, may also be pivotal.

Where to Watch: Kresowiak (Al.Wilanowska 43C). Although notstrictly a one-country restaurant,with food based around traditionaldishes from Ukraine, Lithuaniaand Belarus, Kresowiak certainlyprovides a real taste of the neareast.

The Polish Connection: TheUkrainian city of Lviv was oncethe Polish city of Lwów, beforebecoming part of the Soviet Unionin August 1946.

FranceOverview: Cham-pions in 1984 and2000, Les Bleuswere the laughingstock at the WorldCup in South

Africa two years ago when a play-ers’ mutiny derailed any hope theiraging team had of getting throughthe group stages. Since then Lau-ren Blanc has brought some prideback to the nation and, despitevarious sex and racial scandalsaffecting French soccer, has man-aged to steer his side successfullythrough qualifying. With a mid-field packed full of creative talentfrom the likes of Nasri, Ribéry andCabaye this team could potentiallyscore goals by the bagful. With afeel-good factor coursing throughthe team, they look a hot bet toprogress as far as the semis.

Where to Watch: L’Arc (ul.Pu∏awska 16), has excellent French

food, fresh lobster and a greatwine menu. Whether they have ascreen remains unknown.

The Polish Connection: FormerFrench Emperor Napoleon Bona-parte is still revered by some Polesafter he created the Duchy of War-saw in 1807, following defeat ofPrussia – that’s why a statue of himwas recently unveiled in Pl. Pow-staƒców Warszawy.

SwedenOverview: TheSwedes could bethe dark horse ofGroup C despitemost observersignoring them in

favor of France and England. Butan impressive qualifying campaignwhich saw them defeat the Nether-lands 3-2 in their final game to gothrough automatically, demon-strates that they shouldn’t betaken lightly. Usually fairly sturdyat the back, the key to success forthe Scandinavians will be the goalsof AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovicand the wing play of Lyon’s KimKallstrom.

Where to Watch: IKEA (ul. Mal-borska 51). The cheapest hot dogsin Warsaw at just z∏.1. Surelythere’ll be a screen!?

The Polish Connection:Between 1563 and 1721 Swedenand the Lithuanian-Polish Com-monwealth were involved in seriesof wars known as the Polish-Swedish Wars ●

JUNE 11-17, 2012BBEESSTT OOFF WWAARRSSAAWW8 www.wbj.pl

Aclassic World Cup, 1974heralded the tourna-

ment’s first red card, a new-look trophy and the concept of“total football.” It also signaledthe arrival of the Polish nation-al team. Poland entered thecompetition as an unknownquantity, and while they hadedged out England in the qual-ifiers, that result was largelyseen as a fluke. It wasn’t.

Their first match saw athrilling 3-2 triumph overArgentina, and their class wasemphasized the followinggame courtesy of a 7-0 maul-ing of a shell-shocked Haiti.Italy were dispatched 2-1, andSweden and Yugoslavia werenext to the sword. Poland thenfound themselves facing thehosts, West Germany, with aplace in the final at stake.

Torrential rain had left thepitch waterlogged, and in spiteof Polish protests, the Austrianreferee insisted the match goahead. Poland’s fast moving,cavalier game was useless insuch conditions, and the Polescrashed out to a 76th minuteGerd Müller goal. Polandsigned off on a high, however,with Grzegorz Lato’s seventhgoal of the tournament win-

ning him the Golden Boot, andsealing a third place, 1-0 winover Brazil. The golden era ofPolish football had begun.

Polish footballing greatsJan TomaszewskiA.k.a. ‘The Man Who StoppedEngland.’ Keeper Jan Toma-szewski is commonly remem-bered for an epic performancein ’73, when he pulled off astring of superhuman saves tobook Poland a place in the ’74

World Cup at the expense ofEngland. Labeled a “clown” byBrian Clough on the eve of thematch, Tomaszewski’s nameremains bitterly etched in thememory of every Englishman.He continued to serve asPoland’s number one for manyyears, and has since carved aniche as a controversial com-mentator and politician for PiS.More recently, tabloid allega-tions suggest Tomaszewski mayhave worked as a communist

agent during his footballingheyday.

Kazimierz DeynaNicknamed rogal (croissant) onaccount of his bendy shots,Deyna stands out, arguably, asPoland’s greatest ever talent.Top scorer in the ’72 Olympics,his contribution in the ’74World Cup campaign saw himvoted third in the EuropeanFootballer of the Year awards.Heavily courted by Real

Madrid, Deyna eventuallysecured his dream move abroadin ’78 when he signed for ManCity. While his spell at MaineRoad was marred by injury, theformer Legia hero earned cultstatus thanks to a catalog ofmatch-winning outings. A moveto San Diego beckoned in the80s, and it was in America thatthe maverick playmaker wastragically killed in a car crash.

Zbigniew BoniekThe only Polish player pickedby Pele in his list of “125Greatest Living Footballers.”Considered one of the bestdribblers of the era, Boniekwas transferred to Juventusfrom Widzew ¸ódê in 1982,whereupon he became a firmhit with the fans of Italy’sbiggest club. Dubbed bello dinote (beauty of the night), onaccount of his knack forexcelling during eveninggames, Boniek inspired Polandto third in the ’82 World Cup,and helped lead Juve to theCup Winners’ Cup and Euro-pean Cup. As a coach Boniekhas fared less successfully, andhis managerial career includesstints at minor Italian sides,and a disastrous spell with

Poland – his reign reaching anadir with a 1-0 reversal athome to Latvia.

ArchitectureThe StadiumStadion Naradowy (theNational Stadium) takes cen-ter stage this summer, butbefore you take your seat atthis 21st-century arena, spare athought for what came before.Built atop of vast volumes ofbattle rubble, Stadion Dziesi´-ciolecia (the 10th AnniversaryStadium) opened in 1955 tocoincide with the first decadeof communist rule in Poland.The oval shaped open arenawas established as the nationalstadium, with the last interna-tional match played in 1983 – adraw against Finland. Thesame year Pope John Paul IIheld mass here for 100,000people. Following the fall ofcommunism the overgrownstadium developed into one ofEurope’s great outdoorbazaars, with all sorts of dubi-ous goods traded for hard cash.Today, nothing remains of theoriginal structure aside from astatue of three relay racerspoised for glory.

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Thou shalt (not) shillSome theologians, however,teach that it’s inappropriate topropagate the sacred using themeans of the profane; that thelanguage of theology referringto eternal matters cannot betranslated into the language ofadvertising, which is focusedon temporalities. “The word ofGod is not for sale; and there-fore it has no need for shrewdsalesmen,” said Karl Barth, anacclaimed Swiss pastor in oneof his sermons, recently pub-lished as a book.

This critical approach isalso shared by individual mar-keters who emphasize, whilemarketing to a select group ofpeople, that religion must bechosen freely and withoutaltering any of its elements.

“You cannot change theabsolute, I wouldn’t speak of

altering the offer that’s beenthe same for thousands ofyears,” said Maciej Tes∏awski.“What you can change thoughis the way of communicating it.

Different brand attributes maybe highlighted based on howdifferent the needs of a targetgroup have become with time,”he added.

Rev. Artur Stopka recom-mends prudence. “The basicrisk is treating faith, salvation,Gospel or sacraments aspalmed-off merchandise. Thisis unacceptable.”

Still, Fr. Remigiusz Rec∏awclaims Christianity has no

choice but to advertise itself,since it is a missionary religionwhose aim is to reach potentialworshipers and persuade themto follow Jesus. “Advertising

and Gospel are two sets over-lapping each other,” he said.

The debate goes as far backas 1921 (at much the same timeas Barth’s sermons werepreached) when a “Handbookof Church Advertising” waspublished in the US. Written byFrancis H. Case, an Americanjournalist and politician, for“the busy pastor or committee-man who is facing immediateand practical problems,” it

emphasizes that the church hasa responsibility to use the mostefficient instruments of pre-senting its message against“counter attractions.” “Many ...people spend Sunday in playinggolf, riding in autos, loafing inparks, playing cards, and danc-ing. If advertising has soldthese people some other val-ues, why should it not sell thechurch to them?” asks theauthor.

Over 50 years later thisissue was raised again by PopePaul VI himself in his Messagefor World CommunicationsDay (1977). It is desirable forCatholic institutions, arguedthe Pope, to “follow ... thedevelopment of the moderntechniques of advertising andknow how to make opportuneuse of them in order to spreadthe Gospel.”

Attract and retainThe Polish church very rarelydecides to hire professional,well-known advertising agen-cies. Most of its campaigns areprepared in-house. “The waythe church thinks is: profession-als have their little market twistand our offer is not quite mar-ket-like, we don’t want them towork for us, we’re not a kilo-gram of beef,” said Mr Tes∏aws-ki. “An agency counts only on itsshrewdness while we mustremember that it’s ultimatelythe Holy Ghost that openshearts, not us,” said RemigiuszRec∏aw. “We’re creative enoughto make ads on our own.”

In a pioneering effort, anagency – Ad Fabrika – madetwo prints back in 2005 toencourage the faithful to con-fess before Easter. Oneshowed a stoup with a strawstanding out from one side,with its slogan reading “Thereare better cures for a moralhangover”; the other, urging“Whiten yourself” had anEaster lamb painted black. Asa test of promoting the“goods” of faith, these ads

were, however, commissionedby the editorial office of Gaze-ta Wyborcza, not the church,and were not put to use by thelatter.

“It gets you thinking andengages your emotions,” saidFr. Rec∏aw. “Anything thatdoes is good. There are theo-logical errors in it – it’s not upto me but God to ‘whitenmyself’ but advertising is notheology and doesn’t have tobe strict,” said the Jesuit.Maciej Tes∏awski is criticalabout the “moral hangover.”“It’s a hard sell. I’d show emo-tions differently, focus on howgreat a person feels right afterthey’d been given absolution.”

The Handbook of ChurchAdvertising provides its ownhow-to in this matter – it advis-es not only on how to sell thechurch but also on what it hasfor sale: companionship, salva-tion from sin, comfort in dis-tress. “In your copy emphasizeresults. What does religion dofor a man? What does it do fora community? What does it dofor society?”

“Should you advertise at all,do it professionally or it willbackfire,” advised Rev. ArturStopka. “A few years ago aretreat was to be promotedwith a slogan taken from asupermarket chain. Luckily, thelocal bishop put a ban on it.”

Experts point out that it’snot enough to create a good adand expect a common religiousrevival. “In the long run it’sonly authorities that work. Youdon’t promote an abstract ideabut a person who embodiesthis idea – like John Paul II,Adam Boniecki, JerzyPopie∏uszko,” said Mr Tes∏aws-ki. In his view, a good Catholicshould be as devoted to theirChurch as a Harley-Davidsonfan to their bike. “No otherbrand exists for them, theyalways defend it no matter itsflaws and try to persuade any-one that it’s the best outthere.” ●

JUNE 11-17, 2012 IINN DDEEPPTTHH www.wbj.pl 13

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The Polish church’s brand value has plummeted in recent years

Chopin Airport

sees passen-

ger surge

Over 981,000 passengers

flew from the Warsaw

Chopin Airport in May, a

14% increase from the

same month in 2011.

Airport spokesperson

Przemys∏aw Przybylski

said that a high number of

domestic passengers is

largely behind the overall

increase in airport traffic.

“In the last month, close

to 185,000 people flew

domestically from

Warsaw, i.e. 95% more

than in May 2011,” he said.

Treasury

announces

proceeds from

privatization

The Treasury Ministry

announced last week that

it had booked revenues of

z∏.3.14 billion from the

sale of state assets so far

this year. In total, the

ministry expects to raise

z∏.10 billion in 2012 from

privatization. In 2011, the

Treasury earned revenues

of z∏.13 billion from asset

sales, less than the z∏.15

billion it expected.

Main television

stations losing

viewersTVN, TVP and Polsat are

dealing with an ongoing

loss of viewers,

especially in the 16-49

year old demographic.

Even the most popular

shows, which the stations

count on for the biggest

share of their advertising

revenues, are losing

viewers. ●

“The word of God is not for sale;and therefore it has no need for

shrewd salesmen”

➡ Continued from p. 12

JUNE 11-17, 201214 www.wbj.pl SSOOCCIIEETTYY IINN FFOOCCUUSS

Polish society

EEuurroo 22001122aanndd tthhee PPoolliisshh ppssyycchhee

Poles already have two reasonsto be proud about their co-hosting of the world’s third-largest sporting event, accord-ing to sociologist Janusz Cza-piƒski. The first is the fact that12 of the 14 visiting teamscompeting in Euro 2012 havechosen to stay in Poland ratherthan Ukraine. “Poles saw thatthe biggest stars in Europeansoccer chose their country.This definitely made them feelgood,” he said.

The second reason is thatthere has been an enormousimprovement in Poland’sinfrastructure in the years pre-ceding the tournament,improvements which Poleshad been craving for years.“That’s why you see so muchexcitement about the newhighways. That’s why you seepeople driving in the directionof those new highways despitethe traffic, just to see with theirown eyes what has beenachieved,” he said.

Mr Czapiƒski stated thatPoles’ opinion of where theircountry stands will depend alot on how well organized theEuro 2012 tournament turnsout to be. “If things go well,then foreign journalists willreport this and the Polishmedia in turn will report onthose foreign media reports.Positive coverage of Euro 2012would be a significant sourceof national pride for Poles,” hesaid.

“Of course, if the Polishteam does well in the tourna-ment, that will be even morereason to rejoice,” he added,saying that “nobody is keepingtheir fingers crossed for thingsto go well more than PrimeMinister Donald Tusk and hisgovernment.”

A political matterThe national mood in Polandduring the championship willdetermine Mr Tusk and hisparty Civic Platform’s standingin the polls in the period afterEuro 2012 has finished,according to Mr Czapiƒski.

“It’s almost a do-or-dieaffair for them, politically,” headded. “If things go well theywill recover from their loss inpopularity after the controver-sy surrounding the Anti-Coun-terfeiting Trade Agreement(ACTA) which the Polish gov-ernment initially wanted toratify, the somewhat ill-pre-pared prescription drug

reform and the hugely unpop-ular decision to raise theretirement age to 67 for bothmen and women.”

The government’s determi-nation for Euro 2012 to be ascandal-free affair is the mainreason why, according to MrCzapiƒski, “nothing untowardor violent will be allowed tohappen,” due to a visibly highlevels of police on the streets.

Asked how a successfulhosting of Euro 2012 couldinfluence the political narra-tive in Poland, taking intoaccount the fact that thebiggest opposition party, Lawand Justice (PiS), consistentlymaintains that the Polish stateis in a catastrophic conditionand is terribly governed, MrCzapiƒski said, “If the Euro issuccessful, then PiS will be leftwith only complaints about theinvestigation into the Smolen-sk catastrophe and the unpop-ular pension reform.”

“But don’t worry, even ifthere are tiny organizationalhitches here and there duringEuro 2012, PiS is sure to sniffthem out and complain,” headded.

Do Poles like Poland?Speaking about Poles’ generalattitudes towards their countryand themselves, Mr Czapiƒskisaid, “In the Polish mentality,there is no such thing as socie-ty or the state. There is onlyfamily and the nation.”

Poles feel like foreign sub-jects in their country, whichthey still associate mostly with“repression,” according to MrCzapiƒski. There are, ofcourse, historical reasons forthis, such as half a centuryunder communist rule and 123years (1795-1918) whenPoland did not even exist as astate and was partitioned bythe Russians, the Prussiansand the Austro-Hungarianempire. Thus, an “anti-state”mentality still exists in Polandtoday, Mr Czapiƒski suggests.

“There was a shortmoment in the early 1990s justafter the fall of communismwhen Poles recognized thevalue of the state. That’s theonly reason why we were ableto enact such far-reaching eco-nomic reforms without mas-sive social protests. But thatsentiment has long passed,” hesaid, adding that today “Polesdon’t respect their state andtheir politicians.”

Lack of community“In the end everybody justdepends on their individualachievements. They don’teven trust their neighbors,much less strangers. Polesdon’t trust Poles,” he said,suggesting that a Pole wouldsooner trust a German or aFrench citizen than a fellowPole. As proof of this he

points to the fact that Poleshave more confidence in theEuropean Parliament than intheir own national parliament,an anomaly in Europe, hesays, where the trend is usual-ly the opposite.

Asked why this lack of trustin their fellow citizens existsMr Czapiƒski said, “Theybelieve people have bad inten-tions.” Since 1991 surveys car-ried out by Mr Czapiƒski haveconsistently found that only 13to 15 percent of Poles believepeople have good intentionsin general. “We have one of

the lowest trust levels inEurope,” he said.

National honorPolish reaction to a much-talked-about recent BBCPanorama documentary,which depicted racist and anti-Semitic incidents in Polish sta-diums, was very critical of thedocumentary-makers them-

selves. Many commentators inPoland say the documentarypresented a one-sided, nega-tive view of the country. Thisreaction, according to MrCzapiƒski, is conditioned bythe way Poles themselves viewtheir own nation.

“Poles reacted so criticallyto the documentary because itwas considered an attack onPolish national pride. ToPoles, the nation is sacred, soif someone accuses it ofimmoral actions, they feelthey have to rush to itsdefense,” he said.

He agreed, however, thatparadoxically the BBC docu-mentary and other negativeperceptions of Poland mightturn out to be good in the longrun.

“People will come toPoland and find it much betterthan they had expected. Theywill see that Poland has greatfood, and that Poles are hos-pitable. Everything dependson your frame of reference.”

Of course foreign mediafootage will count for a lot.Foreign journalists who cometo Poland will look into thenooks and crannies, not just atthe nice stuff we show them.“However, I don’t think therewill be many journalists herewho are themselves preju-diced against Poland.”

In the end, Mr Czapiƒskithinks Poland “will gain asmuch from Euro 2012 as wedid from the green islandmetaphor which was con-strued after 2009 when Polandwas the only country to regis-ter positive growth in theEU.”

“The green island labelhelped us a lot image-wise andso will the Euro,” he conclud-ed.

RReemmii AAddeekkooyyaa

WBJ sits down with Janusz Czapiƒski, one ofPoland’s best-known sociologists andacademics, to talk about Euro 2012 and thepsychological impact it is having on the Polishnation

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How well Euro 2012 is organized will have a big impact on how Poles view their

country, said Mr Czapiƒski

Polish banks’

profits risePolish banks’ profits have

continued to grow this

year, albeit at a slower

rate than in 2011,

reported Puls Biznesu.

Net profits for the entire

banking sector in the first

four months of 2012

amounted to z∏.5.66

billion, according to

figures from the National

Bank of Poland. This was

14.2% more than in the

corresponding period of

last year.

Orlen finishes

refinery

overhaulA major overhaul of PKN

Orlen’s Lithuanian

refinery has just been

completed, at a cost of

around $65 million. The

Orlen Lietuva refinery has

resumed production of

fuels at the full planned

rate, the company wrote in

a statement. According to

estimates, it will increase

the company’s EBITDA by

approximately $20

million. A total of 54

different projects were

carried out as part of

maintenance and upgrade

works.

Russian

protests in

PolandOpposition groups in

Kaliningrad have

announced plans to

demonstrate in Poland

during Euro 2012 if a law

blocking freedom of

assembly in Russian is

passed by the country’s

parliament. If enacted,

the new law will raise the

fines for participants in

unauthorized protests up

to €9,000, roughly equal

to an average yearly

salary in the Russian

Federation. Protesters

hope that fellow

compatriots will be able

to see their opposition

and for the protests to be

broadcast in international

media.

Party wants

Kaczyƒski

vacationMembers of opposition

party Palikot’s Movement

(RP) have announced that

they want to give Law and

Justice (PiS) leader

Jaros∏aw Kaczyƒski

vouchers worth z∏.17,000

to enable him to go on

vacation during Euro 2012.

This is to avoid the chance

of him spoiling the atmo-

sphere for Poles during

the tournament, reported

Rzeczpospolita. ●

“In the end everybody depends ontheir individual achievements ...

Poles don’t trust Poles”

LLOOKKAALLEE IIMMMMOOBBIILLIIAAW a r s a w B u s i n e s s J o u r n a l ’s w e e k l y s u p p l e m e n t o n r e a l e s t a t e , c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d d e v e l o p m e n t JUNE 11-17, 2012, LI 17/23

Gant’s new

Warsaw

investment

Legnica-based developer

Gant Development has

announced its second

residential investment in

the Polish capital. The

company, which is also

developing Kaskada na

Woli in Warsaw, will build

a project called Royal

House in the city’s Wola

district. The scheme will

be developed on almost

1.4 hectares of land on ul.

Jana Kazimierza and will

comprise three buildings

offering a total of 358

apartments. The homes,

whose sales have already

begun, will be sized from

23 sqm to 95 sqm and are

priced from z∏.5,200 per

sqm.

Developers

delivering

smaller unitsThe average new

developer-built

apartment delivered in

April in Poland was sized

58.7 sqm, the lowest

figure recorded since

October 2005, according

to a recent report by real

estate brokerage Home

Broker. The average

home buyer is now

looking for an apartment

sized approximately 50

sqm. Developers are still

offering housing units

that are too large when

compared to the current

demand but the situation

is changing for the better

in this regard, the study

said. Since the beginning

of 2009, the average size

of apartments built by

developers decreased by

3.7 sqm. ●

Polnord in Port Praski . . . . . . . . . .15

SwedeCenter hotel . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Class-B offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Property-related stocks . . . . . . . .16

New GTC offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Galeria Bursztynowa tenants . .17

Galeria Aviator project . . . . . . . . .17

In this issue

1716

Class-B spaces areincreasing their share ofthe Polish office market

The planned Galeria Bursztynowa mall has secured two anchor tenants

Revitalization

PPoollnnoorrdd ttoo ttaakkee ppaarrtt iinn ddeevveellooppiinnggmmuullttiiffaammiillyy pprroojjeecctt iinn PPoorrtt PPrraasskkiiThe housingdevelopment is worthsome z∏.320 million

Warsaw Stock Exchange-listeddeveloper Polnord and Elek-trim, the owner of the PortPraski river port area in the Pol-ish capital, have signed anagreement regarding coopera-tion on the development of amajor multifamily housing proj-ect on the hitherto neglectedpremises.

The planned investment,which will be located betweenWarsaw’s ul. Okrzei, ul. Sier-akowskiego, ul. Zamoyskiegoand ul. Wrzesiƒska, will com-prise approximately 40,000sqm of usable residentialspace. The value of the schemeis estimated at around z∏.320million.

Elektrim has selected Pol-nord due to its experience inthe development of large-scaleresidential projects, the lattercompany said in a statement.Polnord is now involved inschemes including the Miast-eczko Wilanów housing devel-opment in Warsaw.

“The signing of the agree-ment concerning cooperationon the Port Praski investment

allows [the scheme] to makeuse of the potential and know-how of Polnord,” company

president Bartosz Puzdrowskisaid in the statement.

He added that the project is

in a prime location, being rightnext to the Vistula River. “Inthe West, waterfront districtsare the most attractive andsought-after locations to livein,” Mr Puzdrowski said.

For now, Polnord and Elek-trim have decided not to revealany further details pertaining totheir planned cooperation.More information should beavailable once negotiationshave been completed.

Elektrim subsidiary PortPraski had earlier revealed thatthe company’s plans for the 38-hectare Port Praski area in War-saw’s Praga Pó∏noc district callfor the development of a totalof up to 500,000 sqm of com-mercial and residential spacewithin the next few years.

Apart from the residentialinvestment that Polnord will beinvolved in, the Port Praskineighborhood, whose signifi-cance should soon be boosteddue to the construction of anew subway station, is alsoexpected to get a number ofhigh-rise buildings and anextensive park.

AAddaamm ZZddrrooddoowwsskkii

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The entire Port Praski investment will comprise up to 500,000 sqm of space

SwedeCenter opens Mera Hotel & Spa in SopotReal estate investor and devel-oper SwedeCenter has openedits Mera Hotel & Spa hospital-ity project in Sopot on theBaltic Sea. The schemeincludes 145 hotel rooms, aswell as a spa, two restaurantsand conference space.

“Mera Hotel & Spa is thefirst, but not the only, hotelproject in SwedeCenter’s port-folio. We will soon launch con-struction on the MarriottCourtyard hotel in Gdynia,”Roger Andersson, managingdirector of SwedeCenter, saidin a statement.

He added that SwedeCen-ter’s plans also include thedevelopment of hotel facilitiesas part of the company’s Busi-

ness Garden business parksthat it will build in Warsaw andWroc∏aw.

The four-floor Mera Hotel& Spa in Sopot was designedby the DiM’84 Dom i Miastoarchitectural studio of Czes∏awBielecki and built by Warbud.The hotel, which is managedby Legend Management, isexpected to become a four-star facility.

Part of the Inter IKEAGroup, SwedeCenter has beenactive in the Polish propertymarket since the early 1990s.The company is currentlyinvolved in commercial proj-ects in Poland including BramaPortowa offices in Szczecin.

AAddaamm ZZddrrooddoowwsskkii

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or

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The scheme includes 145 hotel rooms and a spa

the absence of a formal officeclassification, Mr Kowalski-Barysznikow said.

Age mattersIn terms of technical specifi-cations, the differencebetween new class-A andclass-B buildings is often notthat large, said Ma∏gorzataBrawura-Biskupska, a seniornegotiator in Savills’ officeagency section.

She pointed that out of 20widely agreed-upon criteriathat describe office space qual-ity, 12 are obligatory for bothclass-A and class-B buildings.Class-B, class-B+ and class-Abuildings need to fulfill one,three and five of the remainingeight criteria, respectively, MsBrawura-Biskupska said.

Very often, it is the age ofa given building that deter-mines the classification of itsoffice space, noted heragency colleague, DariuszKarwaƒski. A building thatused to be a class-A facilityseveral years ago may now be

“degraded” to class B fortechnical reasons.

CBRE’s Ka∏´dkiewiczquoted the Warsaw Corpo-rate Center building in thePolish capital as an exampleof a property that, despite itsprime location, no longer

belongs to class A because ofits age and technical specifi-cations.

Lower costsAccording to Mr Ka∏´d-kiewicz, the difference inrents between class-A andclass-B buildings in similarlocations may amount toapproximately 25 percent innon-central Warsaw and even

40 percent in the capital’sdowntown.

Savills’s Brawura-Biskup-ska noted that class-Boffices’ tenants include out-sourcing firms and compa-nies offering call-centerservices, as well as business-es that, to save costs, decideto move their back-officedepartments there.

The share of class-Bbuildings in the whole officestock is higher in regionalcities, which results from theneeds of tenants and the factthat some of the buildingsthere were adapted to officefunctions and do not meetthe class-A requirements,said Savills’s Karwaƒski.

He added that the vastmajority of new office build-ings, especially in Warsaw,belong to class A. Exceptionsinclude Warsaw’s Jerozolim-skie Point, which was com-pleted last year, and Pu∏awska366, which opened for busi-ness in April of this year.

AAddaamm ZZddrrooddoowwsskkii

JUNE 11-17, 2012LLOOKKAALLEE IIMMMMOOBBIILLIIAA –– RREEAALL EESSTTAATTEE16 www.wbj.pl

Security Closing % change 52-week 52-week % change Total Marketprice (week) low high (year) shares value

on June 6 (z∏. mln)

BUDIMEX 66.70 0.15 63.90 92.00 -27.34 25,530,098 1,702.86

CELTIC 12.95 -0.31 12.76 22.70 -33.28 34,068,252 441.18

DOMDEV 30.90 3.38 23.50 50.80 -35.76 24,670,397 762.32

ECHO 3.71 1.64 3.05 5.45 -29.87 420,000,000 1,558.20

ELBUDOWA 91.00 -7.14 87.00 165.00 -40.72 4,747,608 432.03

ENERGOPLD 0.97 -42.94 0.97 3.95 -75.51 70,972,001 68.84

ERBUD 14.83 -1.13 14.15 30.50 -40.92 12,644,169 187.51

GANT 6.30 -15.44 5.85 12.95 -48.99 20,499,953 129.15

GTC 5.52 -9.36 5.38 19.48 -70.59 219,372,990 1,210.94

HBPOLSKA 0.19 -52.50 0.19 2.35 -90.87 210,558,445 40.01

JWCONSTR 4.02 -13.36 3.86 15.39 -73.71 54,073,280 217.37

LCCORP 1.29 -2.27 0.85 1.49 -13.42 447,558,311 577.35

MARVIPOL 8.20 0.99 6.20 9.95 -1.09 36,923,400 302.77

MIRBUD 1.03 -17.60 0.99 3.98 -74.25 75,000,000 77.25

MOSTALWAR 13.41 -3.18 11.30 34.41 -59.96 20,000,000 268.20

MOSTALZAB 1.00 -5.66 1.00 2.88 -63.24 149,130,538 149.13

ORCOGROUP 11.95 -2.92 9.68 34.68 -64.86 35,415,406 423.21

PBG 6.65 -66.05 6.65 154.80 -95.23 14,295,000 95.06

PLAZACNTR 2.20 -0.45 1.80 4.50 -51.86 297,174,515 653.78

POLAQUA 5.45 -5.22 4.53 18.80 -69.38 27,500,100 149.88

POLIMEXMS 1.14 -3.39 0.78 3.53 -62.38 521,154,076 594.12

POLNORD 14.50 19.34 10.49 28.18 -47.97 23,798,439 345.08

RANKPROGR 9.40 1.40 7.85 16.97 -29.06 37,145,050 349.16

ROBYG 1.19 -11.85 1.04 1.97 -41.95 257,935,500 306.94

RONSON 0.93 -6.06 0.77 1.45 -34.97 272,360,000 253.29

TRAKCJA 0.93 -13.89 0.65 3.13 -69.51 232,105,480 215.86

ULMA 41.01 -3.51 39.00 83.70 -50.89 5,255,632 215.53

UNIBEP 4.83 -3.40 4.47 6.90 -31.00 34,021,684 164.32

WARIMPEX 3.30 -15.38 2.95 8.98 -63.00 54,000,000 178.20

ZUE 6.73 -5.08 5.07 11.27 -37.69 22,000,000 148.06

Property-related stocks

Office building classifications

OOffffiiccee aammbbiigguuiittiieessLess touted thantheir class-A peers,class-B buildings areactually increasingtheir share of thePolish office market

Class-A office buildings maybe getting the most attentionfrom developers and tenantsin the Polish market, but it istheir class-B peers thataccount for more than a halfof the existing office stock inthe country.

As no official office build-ing class definitions exist andowners tend to overrate theirproperty for marketing rea-sons, the exact share in themarket of the class-B officesegment is difficult to assess.

However, ¸ukasz Ka∏´d-kiewicz, office agency direc-tor at CBRE in Poland, saidthat class-B offices areroughly estimated to accountfor 56 percent of all modern– meaning delivered after1989 – office space in Poland.

He added that the share isexpected to increase sincethe existing office stock isgetting old. “It is assumedthat the class-B office sectoris growing due to the factthat more and more build-

ings are aging,” Mr Ka∏´d-kiewicz said.

Ambiguous classificationsReal estate experts point outthat there are no formal reg-ulations in Poland whichwould allow for an authorita-tive classification of modernoffice space in the country.The criteria currently in useare often imprecise and allowfor varying interpretations.

Criteria including “high-quality finishing materials”and “the best location in agiven area” do not aid inmaking an objective assess-ment, noted Miko∏aj Kowals-ki-Barysznikow from theoffice department of Cush-man & Wakefield.

Additionally, there is the“B+” office-space sectorwhich, generally speaking,denotes a class-A buildingthat is located outside thecore downtown or a buildingthat fulfills the technical cri-teria of class-B but is situatedin a central location.

As a result, tenants assessoffice buildings by comparingthem with other buildingsavailable at a particular timein the same location. Theseserve as reference points, in

Goodman deliv-

ers Kraków BTSIndustrial space developer

Goodman Group has

completed its first built-

to-suit project at Kraków

Airport Logistics Centre in

southern Poland. The

7,584-sqm facility is

leased to DB Schenker

Logistics and is

Goodman’s third

development at the

Kraków park. “The

growing number of

customers at Kraków

Airport Logistics Centre

confirms that the project

has been tailored to

match market

requirements,” B∏a˝ej

Ciesielczak, managing

director of Goodman

Poland, said in a

statement.

Zoning for

Elblàg’s Ogrody

mallThe city of Elblàg in

Warmiƒsko-Mazurskie

voivodship has enacted a

zoning plan for the area in

which CBRE Global

Investors is planning its

Centrum Handlowe

Ogrody extension project.

The move will allow the

investor to start

construction in the third

quarter of this year. ●

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SY O

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Rac∏awicka 366 is one of the most recently completed class-B+ buildings in Warsaw

GTC delivers fifth Platinium

Business Park building in WarsawWarsaw Stock Exchange-listeddeveloper Globe Trade Centrehas obtained an occupancypermit for the fifth building inits Platinium Business Parkoffice complex in the Polishcapital’s Mokotów district.

The newly delivered phaseof the park, which is located atthe intersection of Warsaw’s ul.Wo∏oska and ul. Domaniews-ka, comprises approximately11,000 sqm of leasable spaceand is now more than 90 per-cent leased out.

Subsidiaries of the PSAPeugeot Citroen Group haverecently leased space at thelatest phase of Platinium Busi-ness Park, whose tenants alsoinclude VeriFone Poland,Schrack-Seconet, K2 and Star-com.

The architectural design of

Platinium Business Park V wasprovided by Grupa 5 Architek-ci. Warbud was the generalcontractor of the building, forwhich the developer is plan-

ning to obtain LEED Goldcertification of energy efficien-cy and environmental per-formance.

AAddaamm ZZddrrooddoowwsskkii

CO

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F A

DVA

NC

ED

PU

BL

IC R

EL

AT

ION

S

The project comprises 11,000 sqm of leasable space

“The vast majorityof new office

buildings, especiallyin Warsaw, belong

to class A”

JUNE 11-17, 2012 LLOOKKAALLEE IIMMMMOOBBIILLIIAA –– RREEAALL EESSTTAATTEE www.wbj.pl 17

Shopping centers

Galeria Bursztynowa mallgets Tesco and OBI storesThe planned 35,000-sqm regionalshopping center isnow 50 percent leased out

A Tesco hypermarket and anOBI DIY store will be anchortenants at the Galeria Bursz-tynowa shopping center thatNarev Inwestycje plans tobuild in Ostro∏´ka in the northof the Mazowieckie voivod-ship.

The companies have leased7,869 sqm and 7,962 sqm of

space at the mall, respectively,with the transactions havingbeen brokered by Cushman &Wakefield, which is responsi-ble for the design and com-mercialization of the 35,000-sqm facility.

“We are currently in talkswith other potential tenantswho will complement the offerat the shopping center,”Tomasz Górski, a senior nego-tiator from the retail depart-ment of Cushman & Wake-field, said in a statement.

After the lease deals withTesco and OBI, the Galeria

Bursztynowa project is 50 per-cent leased out. “The presenceof an international food retail-er and a well-known DIY storewill certainly be an incentivefor other companies,” MrGórski said.

Galeria Bursztynowa,whose leasable area willamount to almost 30,000 sqm,will be developed on Ostro∏´-ka’s ul. Gorbatowa and ul.˚ebrowskiego. The investorplans to launch construction inautumn this year and completethe mall in November 2013.

AAddaamm ZZddrrooddoowwsskkii

Commercialization ofGaleria Aviator underway

Master Management Group has begun the commercializa-tion of a new regional shoppingcenter called Galeria Aviatorthat Kullar Gobi Polska is plan-ning to develop in Mielec, Pod-karpackie voivodship.

The project, which will bethe first large-scale retail devel-opment in the city, will com-prise a 30,000-sqm enclosedsingle-floor shopping centerand a 8,500 building housing aDIY store. The shopping cen-ter will include a hypermarket

and a four-screen movie the-ater.

“We can see a lot of interestfrom tenants due to the poten-tial of Mielec which currentlysuffers from a shortage of mod-ern retail space,” Micha∏ Masz-takowski, leasing and develop-ment director at Master Man-agement Group, said in a state-ment.

According to Master Man-agement Group, the catchmentarea of Galeria Aviator encom-passes more than 60,000 inhab-

itants living within less than 10minutes’ drive. “We are inadvanced talks with tenants,including a hypermarket opera-tor,” Mr Masztakowski said.

Kullar Gobi Polska is nowpreparing to apply for a build-ing permit for Galeria Aviator.Construction is expected tolaunch at the turn of 2012 and2013, with the DIY store sched-uled to open in Q3 2013 andthe rest of the investment in Q42014.

AAddaamm ZZddrrooddoowwsskkii

CO

UR

TE

SY O

F Q

UE

ST

IA

The investment will deliver a total of 38,500 sqm of space

CO

UR

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SY O

F F

IRS

T P

UB

LIC

RE

LA

TIO

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The Galeria Bursztynowa mall is scheduled to be completed in November 2013

Combining the most in-depth social media knowledge with the sophisticated insights of consumer behavior

*Attention USA clients

www.valkea-attention.com

don’t think so.But these companies

is just a fad. Maybe social media

*

JUNE 11-17, 2012 TTHHEE LLIISSTT www.wbj.pl 19

Motor Industry & Freight

Car Rental CompaniesRanked by total number of vehicles www.bookoflists.pl

Notes: Notes: NA = Not Applicable, NR = Not Ranked, WND = Would Not Disclose.Research for The List was conducted in November/December 2011. Number of employees is asof November 2011. All information pertains to the companies’ activities in Poland. Companies notresponding to our survey are not listed.

To the best of WBJ ’s knowledge, the information is accurate as of press time. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy and thoroughness, omissions andtypographical errors may occur. Corrections or additions to The List should be sent, on official letterhead, to Warsaw Business Journal, attn. Joanna Raszka,ul. Elblàska 15/17, 01-747 Warsaw, via fax to (+48) 22 639-8569, or via e-mail to wbjbol@wbj.pl. Copyright 2011, Valkea Media SA. The List may not be reprint-ed or reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission of the publisher. Reprints are available.

Rank

Company nameAddressTel./FaxE-mailWeb page

Total numberof cars /

Number ofcars:

Passenger / Vans /Other

Revenue fromcar rentals

(z∏. mln)

Total revenue(z∏. mln)

Number ofcars rented

Makes of rental cars

Pass

enger

cars

/Li

mousi

nes

Vans

/Tr

aile

rs

Buse

s /

Moto

rcyc

les

Cost (z∏.): Per day /

Per weekend /Per week

Deposit (z∏.)

Poss

ibili

ty o

f le

avi

ng t

he

car

at

anoth

er

bra

nch /

Car

pic

k-up a

nd r

etu

rn a

ta s

ele

cte

d location

Min

imum

age t

o r

ent

Number of offices /Locations

Full-timeemployees /

Yearfounded in

Poland

Top localexecutive /

Title

1

Express SAul. RzemieÊlnicza 26, 30-403 Kraków12 300-0300/12 254-0019express@express.plwww.express.pl

4,122WND176

-

WND113.791.380.2

WNDWNDWNDWND

10,50024,57819,80315,762

Audi; BMW; Chevrolet Spark;Citroen; Fiat; Ford; Honda;

Hyundai; Infinity FX37, G37;Iveco Daily; Kia Ceed; Lancia

Delta; Mercedes-Benz;Mitsubishi; Nissan; Opel;

Peugeot; Renault; Saab; Skoda;Subaru Forester; Suzuki; Toyota;

Volvo; Volkswagen

✓-

✓-

--

79-359299-359

NA500-1,000

✓✓

21

14Bydgoszcz; Katowice;

Gdaƒsk; Kraków; Lublin;¸ódê; Poznaƒ; Szczecin;

Warsaw; Wroc∏aw

1101989

Hubert LaszczykPresident

2

Jupol Car Sp. z o.o./ Avis Licenseeul. ¸opuszaƒska 12A, 02-220 Warsaw22 572-6500/22 572-6501info@avis.plwww.avis.pl

1,5001,470

30-

23.041.046.046.0

WNDWNDWNDWND

20,88237,00034,166WND

Audi; Ford; Mercedes-Benz;Nissan; Opel; Renault; Toyota;

Volkswagen; Volvo

✓-

✓-

--

160360

1,200Credit card

✓✓

21

20Bia∏ystok; Katowice; Legnica;Olsztyn; Toruƒ; Bielsko Bia∏a;

Kielce; Lublin; Opole;Warsaw; Bydgoszcz;

Kraków; ¸ódê; Rzeszów;Wroc∏aw; Gdaƒsk; Koszalin;Poznaƒ; Szczecin; Zielona

Góra

1001991

Rados∏aw LesiakCountry Manager

3

Sixt rent a car Polskaul. Arabska 9, 03-977 Warsaw22 511-1550/22 511-1556biuro@sixt.plwww.sixt.pl

1,2001,150

50-

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWNDWND

Mercedes; BMW; Volvo; SEAT;Ford; Nissan; Chevrolet

✓✓

✓-

-✓

122-1,600400-900

800-8,500700-10,000

✓✓

18

WNDWarsaw; Kraków; Gdaƒsk;Poznaƒ; Wroc∏aw; Gliwice;Katowice; Lublin; Szczecin;

Rzeszów

1202001

Pawe∏ Reczyƒski

4

Inter Best-97 Sp. z o.o. (Europcar)ul. Poleczki 35, 02-822 Warsaw22 255-5600/22 255-5602office@europcar.com.plwww.europcar.pl

1,0201,020

--

16.129.329.129.4

16.129.329.129.4

15,19029,27327,14032,438

Ford; Renault; Volvo; Mercedes;Audi; BMW; Opel

✓-

--

--

336-952316-900

1,140-3,250

1,100 +20% cost of

rental

✓✓

2128

WND

901997

GrzegorzWendyƒski

President

5

Hertz Rent a Car (Orbis Transport Sp. z o.o.)ul. ¸opuszaƒska 47, 02-232 Warsaw22 500-1660/22 500-1665rezerwacje@hertz.com.plwww.hertz.com.pl

600600

--

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWNDWND

Renault; Hyundai; Ford; Nissan;Volvo, Kia

✓-

--

--

236372

1,242WND

✓✓

25

20Bydgoszcz; Gdaƒsk;

Katowice; Kraków; ¸ódê;Olsztyn; Poznaƒ; Rzeszów;

Szczecin; Warsaw; Wroc∏aw

801974

Andrzej MarconiManaging Director

6

Budget Rent a Car (Car-Pol Leasing Sp. z o.o.)ul. 17 Stycznia 56, 02-146 Warsaw22 868-3336/22 846-5986info@budget.com.plwww.budget.pl

500500

--

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWNDWND

7,00015,40014,30014,500

Volkswagen; Ford; Volvo; Suzuki;Renault; Opel

✓-

--

--

150-800300-1,000800-2,500

1,000-5,000✓✓

21-2511

Warsaw; Katowice; Kraków;Wroc∏aw; Poznaƒ; Gdaƒsk

491989

AndrzejWitkowski

General Director

7

99rent Sp. z o.o.ul. Modliƒska 248, 03-152 Warsaw22 630-6380/22 630-6381info@99rent.plwww.99rent.pl

3893872-

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWNDWND

Volkswagen; Opel; Ford; Renault;Kia; Skoda; Nissan; Peugot;

BMW

✓-

✓-

--

99-499WNDWND

From 1,000✓✓

213

Warsaw; Kraków; Tricity

182008

Milan Os´kaPresident

8

Rent A Car Poland Sp. z o.o. (Nationaland Alamo Car Rental Licensee)ul. Âwi´tojaƒska 39/3, 81-391 Gdynia58 621-0606/58 621-0777national@nationalcar.com.plwww.nationalcar.com.pl

350350

--

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWNDWND

Honda; Mazda; Volkswagen; Kia;Opel; Citroen; Nissan

✓-

--

--

120-800WNDWND

1,700-6,100✓✓

21

13Bydgoszcz; Gdaƒsk; Gdynia;

Katowice; Kraków; ¸ódê;Poznaƒ; Rzeszów; Szczecin;

Warsaw; Wroc∏aw

221998

KrystynaFrankowska

President

9

Car Net Polska Sp. z o.o.ul. Podmiejska 32, 62-800 Kalisz506-160-022centrala@carnet.plwww.carnet.pl

27863

WNDWND

7.713.2WNDWND

7.713.2WNDWND

341320

WNDWND

WND✓✓

✓-

--

119238693

500✓✓

21

7Warsaw; Kraków; Kielce;Gdaƒsk; Kalisz; Poznaƒ;

Ostrów Wlkp.

481999

Piotr Wrzos

10

Joka Kamiƒski Sp.j.Al. Korfantego 9, 40-005 Katowice32 350-1450/32 203-7440joka@joka.com.plwww.joka.com.pl

180180

--

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWNDWND

Fiat; Ford; Opel; Skoda; Honda;Subaru; Mercedes; Audi; Volvo;

Volkswagen

✓-

--

--

92-307375-1,650770-2,730

1,500;2,000;4,000

✓✓

21; 255

Katowice; Kraków; Gdaƒsk;Warsaw; Wroc∏aw

181994

Józef Kamiƒski;SylwesterKamiƒski;

AleksanderKamiƒski

11

Wikar Trading Sp. z o.o. (RAC GROUP RENT A CAR)ul. Bitwy Warszawskiej 1920 r. 11, 02-366 Warsaw 22 868-7525biuro@racgroup.pl, www.racgroup.pl

16015010-

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWNDWND

Opel; Ford; Nissan; Hyundai;Citroen; Skoda; Suzuki

✓-

✓-

--

9027085

1,000✓✓

21

10Bia∏ystok; Bydgoszcz;

Gdaƒsk; Gdynia; Lublin;Poznaƒ; Sopot; Szczecin;

Toruƒ; Warsaw; Wroc∏aw;Zielona Góra

142003

Wies∏awKasierski

12

MiCaR Michael’s Car Rental ul. Kamieƒskiego 12, 51-124 Wroc∏aw71 325-1949/71 735-1025rent@micar.plwww.micar.pl

12889309

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWNDWND

Fiat; Ford; Opel; Peugeot; Skoda;Volkswagen; Suzuki

✓-

✓-

--

74-406150-812

517-2,700800-3,000

-✓ 20

1Wroc∏aw

81993

Micha∏ WernerCo-owner

13

Trust Rent a Car Sp.c.ul. Konstruktorska 4, 02-673 Warsaw22 843-0580/22 339-0256office@trustrentacar.plwww.trustrentacar.pl

3838--

0.50.81.11.2

0.50.81.11.2

224490470484

Opel; Skoda; Nissan; Dacia✓-

--

--

80-130294-489490-850

1,500✓✓

212

Warsaw

32003

W∏odzimierzZawojski

14

A.R. Centrum Wynajmu i Turystyki ul. Kolumba 1/6, 70-035 Szczecin91 434-0006/91 434-0006biuro@centrumwynajmu.plwww.centrumwynajmu.pl

3128-3

WND0.5

WNDWND

WND0.5

WND0.5

WNDWNDWNDWND

Fiat; Ford✓✓

--

✓-

90256560

1,000-2,000-✓ 21

1Szczecin

51990

KrystynaWeso∏owska

NR

Local Rent a Car Tourist Service Sp. z o.o.ul. M∏ynarska 13/50, 01-205 Warsaw22 826-7100/22 826-7494info@LRC.com.plwww.LRC.com.pl

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWND

WNDWND

WNDWND

WNDWNDWND

WNDWNDWND

WND WNDWND1993

M. Kotomski;Micha∏ Adamek

1st half of 2011 / 2010 / 2009 / 2008

JUNE 11-17, 2012MMAARRKKEETTSS20 www.wbj.pl

SO

UR

CE

: W

SE

PLN-EUR

4.38

89

4.41

26

4.40

07

4.39

22

4.34

23

4.30

78

31.0

5

01.0

6

04.0

6

05.0

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06.0

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64.20

4.35

4.50 PLN-USD

31.0

5

01.0

6

04.0

6

05.0

6

06.0

6

08.0

6

3.53

72

3.57

77

3.54

31

3.53

59

3.47

03

3.45

66

3.2

3.5

3.8 PLN-GBP

31.0

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01.0

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04.0

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05.0

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65.20

5.45

5.70

5.48

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5.46

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5.44

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5.42

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5.36

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5.32

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PLN-CHF

3.65

45

3.67

43

3.66

51

3.65

70

3.61

59

3.58

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31.0

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3.7 PLN-RUB

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08.0

64.0

4.8

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4.57

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4.38

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currency rates

Speculativetrading?

Currency report

The first week of Junebrought significant move-ment on the z∏oty market,not all of which was explain-able. Overall, sentiment onfinancial markets improvedand we can thank the majorcentral banks for that. TheBank of China, along withthe Bank of Australia, cutinterest rates, while the Fed’srepresentatives gave a subtlesignal of a possible monetaryexpansion to happen soon.Only the ECB’s chief calmedinvestors’ optimism by keep-ing interest rates unchangedin the euro zone.

The EUR/USD finallyrebounded from levels below$1.23, and reached its two-week high at $1.26 on Thurs-day. Friday’s risk aversionincreased and the major cur-rency pair was denied furtheradvancements to finish theweek in the $1.2450 area.

In Poland the NBP keptinterest rates unchanged at4.75 percent. During thepress conference to announcethe news NBP presidentMarek Belka said inflationwill remain above the uppertarget limit, the economy willslow down, but the z∏oty willtend to appreciate in thelong-term. Investors ratherignored the message as thelocal currency was positivelyaffected by external factors.

The most surprising trad-ing day was Thursday, wheninvestors in Poland were outof the market due to anational holiday. TheEUR/PLN slid all the way toz∏.4.23 from z∏.4.40 on Mon-day.

On Friday the marketcorrected this obvious specu-lative movement and theEUR/PLN finished the weekin the z∏.4.30 area. ●

Adam NarczewskiX-Trade Brokers DM SA

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Major indices

Top 5 Closing % change (week) 52-week high 52-week low

ATMGRUPA 1.21 34.44 2.68 0.83PEMUG 1.42 26.79 1.69 0.86ENERGOPOL 7.80 21.31 8.91 4.91MOSTALEXP 0.78 20.00 1.86 0.52POLNORD 14.50 19.34 28.40 10.23

WIG 37,707.25 (June 6 close)

Change for the week: 0.96% 52-week high: 49,747.78

Change year to June 6: -1.59% 52-week low: 36,549.47

Top 5 Closing % change (week) 52-week high 52-week low

PGE 18.90 5.35 24.98 15.98KGHM 130.40 4.24 199.60 102.40PKOBP 32.70 3.81 44.19 27.95PGNIG 3.85 3.22 4.65 3.25TPSA 16.42 2.63 19.19 14.30

Bottom 5 Closing % change (week) 52-week high 52-week low

PBG 6.65 -66.05 156.00 6.62HBPOLSKA 0.19 -52.50 2.45 0.19POINTGROUP 0.20 -35.48 1.25 0.18AWBUD 0.94 -31.88 2.31 0.89POLJADLO 0.27 -30.77 1.36 0.27

Bottom 5 Closing % change (week) 52-week high 52-week low

PBG 6.65 -66.05 156.00 6.62GTC 5.22 -14.29 19.50 5.22TVN 7.55 -5.63 17.45 7.54PKNORLEN 32.65 -4.67 53.15 30.33POLIMEXMS 1.14 -3.39 3.55 0.77

WIG20 2,110.91 (June 6 close)

Change for the week: 1.87% 52-week high: 2,895.87

Change year to June 6: -3.79% 52-week low: 2,035.80

mWIG40 2,179.92 (June 6 close)

Change for the week: -1.08% 52-week high: 2,922.89

Change year to June 6: -0.47% 52-week low: 2,076.52

sWIG80 9,151.01 (June 6 close)

Change for the week: -1.17% 52-week high: 12,593.39

Change year to June 6: 6.35% 52-week low: 8,218.71

NewConnect 36.69 (June 6 close)

Change for the week: -2.65% 52-week high: 56.98

Change year to June 6: -11.57% 52-week low: 36.59

WIG-Banki 5,389.76 (June 6 close)

Change for the week: 1.73% 52-week high: 7,071.91

Change year to June 6: -2.77% 52-week low: 4,944.19

DJIA12,393.45 (June 7 close)

-1.09% (for the week)

CHANGE: -0.03%

(year to June 7)

52-week high: 13,359.60

52-week low: 10,362.30

NASDAQ2,827.34 (June 7 close)

-0.42% (for the week)

CHANGE: 6.74%

(year to June 7)

52-week high: 3,134.17

52-week low: 2,298.89

S&P5001,314.99 (June 7 close)

0.36% (for the week)

CHANGE: 2.97%

(year to June 7)

52-week high: 1,422.38

52-week low: 1,074.77

FTSE1005,447.80 (June 7 close)

2.38% (for the week)

CHANGE: -4.42%

(year to June 7)

52-week high: 6,084.10

52-week low: 4,791.00

DAX6,144.22 (June 7 close)

-1.92% (for the week)

CHANGE: 1.13%

(year to June 7)

52-week high: 7,523.53

52-week low: 4,965.80

NIKKEI2258,639.72 (June 7 close)

1.14% (for the week)

CHANGE: 0.93%

(year to June 7)

52-week high: 10,255.20

52-week low: 8,135.79

world stock indices

10.0

5

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636,000

36,800

37,600

38,400

39,200

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62,000

2,040

2,080

2,120

2,160

2,200

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5

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5

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15.0

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62,100

2,180

2,260

2,340

2,420

2,500

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68,800

8,980

9,160

9,340

9,520

9,700

10.0

5

11.0

5

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636

37

38

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41

10.0

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65,100

5,220

5,340

5,460

5,580

5,700

Other indices

Spain on the mind

Stocks report

Greece finally got off thefront pages last week, witheyes turning instead towardsSpain. The lingering debt cri-sis within Europe continuedto move markets, includingPolish indices. Last Monday,Polish blue-chips managed toclose higher, one week after adreadful five-day stretch.

Despite disappointing USretail sales for April and alackluster start for marketsacross the Atlantic, the blue-chip WIG20 managed touphold gains made through-out the day, unlike themWIG40 and sWIG80,which both closed down byabout 1 percent.

On Tuesday, equity mar-kets finished with mixedresults after Spain’s financeminister spooked investorsby saying credit markets wereslowly closing to his country.Both the overall WIG and

WIG20 dropped nearly 2percent as a result.

Wednesday broughtrelief, with markets rallyingon hopes that major centralbanks might act to bolster theglobal economy. Though theEuropean Central Bank leftrates unchanged, many inter-preted ECB president MarioDraghi’s comments to meanthat action would be taken inthe near term. Stocksjumped, with the WIG20outperforming most Euro-pean indices, gaining 3.49percent. Financials PKO BP(4.77 percent) and PZU(2.70 percent) led the gains.

Gains continued through-out Europe on Thursday,although Poland’s marketswere closed due to the Cor-pus Christi religious holiday.On Friday, the WIG rose 2.17percent while the WIG20rose 2.03 percent. ●

Andrew Nawrocki WBJ market analyst

American football

Warsaw Eagles defeat the Devils

Wroc∏aw in statement performanceThe Eagles finally gotrevenge against theDevils with a 48-27victory

The Warsaw Eagles made abig statement at home againstthe Devils Wroc∏aw in week 8of the Topliga season. Touch-downs came from six differentplayers in a comprehensive 48-27 victory over the Devils toensure the Eagles moved up tosecond in the standings.

The Eagles led for most ofthe game, moving the balleffectively through both theirrunning and passing gamesand holding Wroc∏aw’s NilesMittasch and KrzysztofWydrowski in check most ofthe way. Warsaw broke a six-game losing streak against theDevils with the win, while atthe same time handingWroc∏aw their biggest defeatin over three years.

Kevin Lynch threw threefirst-half touchdowns, includ-ing a 61-yarder to MarcinJad∏owski, to put the Eagles29-7 up near the end of thesecond quarter. In a closer sec-ond half Mr Wydrowski hitLayton Jones for a 14-yard

touchdown reception to makethe score 27-20 before 19straight points for the Eaglessecured a comfortable victory.

Assuming there are nohuge surprises in the Topligaregular season’s final twoweeks, the loss virtually elimi-nates the Devils from con-tention for the number-oneseed in the playoffs. Even witha victory over the Gdynia Sea-hawks in the next round, theDevils would likely lose out onthe top seed to the Eaglesbased on the current tiebreak-er scenarios.

In week eight’s othergames, Koz∏y Poznaƒ missedout on a chance to all but sealup the final playoff spot inKatowice, succumbing to alate comeback by the AZSSilesia Rebels, who scored twotouchdowns late in the fourthquarter to win 19-14.

Elsewhere, the GdyniaSeahawks had to come frombehind twice in the first half,withstanding a determinedeffort from the Dom-BudKraków Tigers to record a 51-16 victory.

AAlleexx ZZaarrggaanniiss

JUNE 11-17, 2012 SSPPOORRTTSS www.wbj.pl 21

Euro 2012

PPllaattiinnii uuppbbeeaatt aass EEuurroo22001122 ggeettss uunnddeerrwwaayyThe UEFA presidentgave his thoughts onracism, Euro 2012’slegacy and Poland’schances on the pitch

UEFA president Michel Plati-ni was in Warsaw last Wednes-day to officially open Euro2012 and he declared himself“delighted” to be able to havethis event in Poland andUkraine.

“I’d like to congratulatethese two countries in thename of football,” Mr Platinisaid.

“The Poles and theUkrainians have put a lot ofpassion into what they’vedone. … In all honesty they’vesucceeded in the challenge.”

“It’s not perfect … but

we’re not far from being per-fect, we’ve done everything wecan,” he added.

Referring to the long-termlegacy of the tournament theUEFA president said that bothPoland and Ukraine hadmoved forward 30 years interms of the progress madewith communication, infra-structure and railways.

But while Mr Platini washappy to talk about the suc-cesses of the two host nations,the key issue that kept crop-ping up was racism, and in par-ticular the fallout related tothe BBC’s Panorama docu-mentary on Poland andUkraine, which focused onracism at soccer matches inthe two countries and caused apublic outcry.

“I didn’t watch it [the

Panorama documentary] …but if we look at Europe, thereis more and more nationalismand to point the finger forracism at Poland and Ukraineis easy to do.”

“It’s not only a footballproblem, it’s a problem withsociety and I am not the headof society,” he said.

However, despite addingthat he didn’t think sportscould eradicate prejudice, hedid say that he felt it couldhelp weaken the problem.

But referring to commentsfrom Manchester City andItaly striker Mario Balotellithat he would walk off if anyfans are racist towards him at aEuro 2012 match Mr Platinijoked, “Balotelli needs to be inthe starting 11 first,” beforeadding, “there needs to be a

yellow or red card [from thereferee] if he goes off thepitch.”

No crystal ballComing back to the action onthe field, Mr Platini said he

didn’t know if Poland andUkraine could make it out ofthe group stages.

“I don’t have a crystal balland I don’t know who will getout of the groups,” he saidbefore pointing to the exam-

ples of Denmark in 1992 andGreece in 2004 to show thatanyone can win the tourna-ment.

“That’s what makes foot-ball such a great game.”

DDaavviidd IInngghhaamm

With Euro 2012 now underway, all eyes are onPoland and Ukraine to find out which eightteams will make it through the group stages andinto the knockout rounds.

The 18 group matches left to play could allpotentially be great match-ups, but there are stilla number of standout games. These include:Group D’s opening games of France vs Englandand Ukraine vs Sweden, as well as Poland’s

matches against Russia (which for historical rea-sons is much more than just a soccer match) andthe Czech Republic (which could determinewhether the co-hosts make it through). On June13, the Netherlands plays Germany, in whatpromises to be a pulsating affair, and finally theItaly vs Republic of Ireland match on June 18 issure to evoke memories of Ireland’s famous winover the Azzuri at World Cup ‘94. ●

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Michel Platini said Poland and Ukraine had “succeeded in the challenge” of prepar-

ing for Euro 2012

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The Eagles’ Kevin Lynch looks for a receiver

Euro 2012

The upcoming matches

Monday June 11France vs England – 6 pm, Donbass Arena,DonetskUkraine vs Sweden – 8:45 pm, Olympic Stadi-um, Kiev

Tuesday June 12Greece vs Czech Republic – 6 pm, MunicipalStadium, Wroc∏awPoland vs Russia – 8:45 pm, National Stadi-um, Warsaw

Wednesday June 13Denmark vs Portugal – 6 pm, Arena Lviv, LvivThe Netherlands vs Germany – 8:45 pm,Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv

Thursday June 14Italy vs Croatia – 6pm, Municipal Stadium,PoznaƒSpain vs Republic of Ireland – 8:45 pm, PGEArena, Gdaƒsk

Friday June 15Ukraine vs France – 6 pm, Donbass Arena,DonetskSweden vs England – 8:45 pm, Olympic Stadi-um, Kiev

Saturday June 16Czech Republic vs Poland – 8:45 pm, Munici-pal Stadium, Wroc∏awGreece vs Russia – 8:45 pm, National Stadi-um, Warsaw

Sunday June 17Denmark vs Germany – 8:45 pm, Arena Lviv,LvivPortugal vs Netherlands – 8:45 pm, MetalistStadium, Kharkiv

Monday June 18Croatia vs Spain – 8:45 pm, PGE Arena,GdaƒskItaly vs Republic of Ireland – 8:45 pm, Munic-ipal Stadium Poznaƒ

Tuesday June 19England vs Ukraine – 8:45 pm, DonbassArena, DonetskSweden vs France – 8:45 pm, Olympic Stadi-um, KievKnockout games were undecided as WBJwent to press

Quarter Finals – June 21, 22, 23, 24Semi Finals – June 27, 28Final – July 1 ●

JUNE 11-17, 2012LLIIFFEESSTTYYLLEE22 www.wbj.pl

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WBJ’s restaurant review feature

Tamka 43 ul. Tamka 43 Warsawtamka43.pl

Located right next to theChopin Museum, MichelinGuide-listed Tamka 43 providesa refined, cultured setting, fullof artistic inspiration. Its chefsare at the sharp edge of culinarycreativity in Warsaw, servingdishes such as an hors d’oeuvreof raw fish, foamed grapefruitjuice and crispy rice that leftWBJ more than a little intrigued

about what was coming nextduring a recent lunchtime visit.

While not all the food deliv-ered the same sense of surprise,a stylishly presented starter ofguinea fowl terrine withJerusalem artichoke and blacksalsify made it clear that this isno ordinary eatery. The maincourse – cod with chicory andmead – was actually a littlepedestrian by comparison, rely-ing more on simple flavors thanon obscure seasoning or unusu-al combinations.

Tamka 43’s co-owner, chefRobert Trzópek, has bags ofexperience working in world-class restaurants, with stints atNoma in Copenhagen and elBulli on Spain’s Costa Brava. Aspecialist in molecular gastron-omy, Mr Trzópek has certainly

brought something new toPoland’s dining scene, with hisstated aim being to deliver “sur-prising chords and punch lines”through his dishes.

And at z∏.39 for a two-courselunch, gastronomic adventuresof the Tamka 43 variety rarelycome at a more reasonable rate.While prices rise for dishes onthe restaurant’s A La Carte andDegustation menus, so too doesthe wow-factor. Cream of veni-son soup with veal sweetbreadsand pomegranate with celery, aswell as zander with cauliflowerand dressing of chocolate showthe lengths to which the restau-rant will go to stand out fromthe crowd.

Desserts, while certainly notthe usual fare, are more main-stream, but still equally deli-cious. Chocolate fondant servedwith vanilla ice cream comesparticularly recommended, butfor the more adventurous therestaurant has also been knownto serve vegetable ice cream.

For an insight into the newwave of Polish dining, sleek andsophisticated Tamka 43 is cer-tainly not to be missed.

GGaarreetthh PPrriicceeReservations: 22 44 16 234

info@tamka43.pl

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying BirdsJune 20Pl. Zebraƒ Ludowych, Euro 2012 Fan Zone, Gdaƒsk

Noel Gallagher, the formerleader and songwriter for Man-chester rock band Oasis, will bein Poland this month as part ofa European tour to support hisfirst solo record, “Noel Gal-lagher’s High Flying Birds.”

Mr Gallagher, the manbehind legendary guitaranthems such as “Cigarettesand Alcohol,” “Slide Away”and “Don’t Look Back inAnger,” has enhanced hisalready massive popularityamong the European publicwith his most recent release,

which has so far sold morethan 600,000 copies in the UKalone since it hit the shops inOctober 2011.

Highly rated indie rockersThe Vaccines will be the mainsupport act at the concert. Theband, which plays the same

kind of stripped-down riffs asgroups such as The Ramonesand The Strokes are currentlyworking on their second album,“The Vaccines Come Of Age.”

Tickets for the event arepriced from z∏.85.

DDaavviidd IInngghhaamm

Concert

GGooiinngg ssoolloo iinn GGddaaƒƒsskk

Noel Gallagher

The Queen of SpadesJune 14-17Teatr WielkiPlac Teatralny 1Warsaw

Based on Alexander Pushkin’sshort story of the same name,The Queen of Spades followsthe story of Herman, a cardplayer obsessed with learningan elderly countesses’ luckysecret, which he believes willbring him the wealth he sodesires.

By pretending to be in love

with the countess’ grand-daughter, Liza, Hermanattempts to enter the countess’confidence. He then literallyfrightens the old woman todeath when she refuses to tellhim the secret. Later her ghostreveals the trick, and Hermanfollows her instructions to wina fortune.

On the third night, he betson the ace – but when thecards are shown, he finds hehas bet on the Queen ofSpades, rather than the ace,and loses everything.

Set to Tchaikovsky’s out-standing score, Mariusz Tre-liƒski’s production succeeds inportraying the haunting andsomber mood of the tale.Since its Polish premiere in1890, The Queen of Spadeshas garnered much acclaim,and this production, whichstars Boiko Zvetanov in thelead role, will no doubt beequally well received.

For more information log on to teatrwielki.pl

NNaattaalliiaa KKooppyyttnniikk

ChambaoJune 17Sala KongresowaPalace of Culture & SciencePl. Defilad 1Warsaw

Flamenco band Chambao,who hail from Málaga inSpain, is coming to the capitalthis June to entertain fans withtheir chilled-out electronicvibe.

The group, which is namedafter a type of beach tent andwas first discovered by theDutch musician HenrikTakkenberg, started out as atrio of Spanish musicians, withsinger María del Mar now theonly remaining founding

member.This will be their second

visit to Poland following twoshows in 2007, both of whichreceived rave reviews.

Tickets for the event arepriced from z∏.100.

For more information logon to kongresowa.pl

DDaavviidd IInngghhaamm

Concert

FFllaammeennccoo cchhiilllloouutt

Centre for ContemporaryArt at Ujazdowski Castle ul. Jazdów 2www.csw.art.pl

Czarna Gallery ul. Marsza∏kowska 4www.czarnagaleria.art.pl

Galeria 022, DAP, Lufcik ul. Mazowiecka 11awww.owzpap.pl

Galeria 65 ul. Bema 65www.galeria65.com

Galeria Appendix 2ul. Bia∏ostocka 9www.appendix2.com

Galeria Asymetria ul. Nowogrodzka 18awww.asymetria.eu

Galeria Foksal ul. Foksal 1-4www.galeriafoksal.pl

Galeria Milano Rondo Waszyngtona 2Awww.milano.arts.pl

Galeria Schody ul. Nowy Âwiat 39www.galeriaschody.pl

Galeria XX1 Al. Jana Paw∏a II 36www.galeriaxx1.pl

Galeria Zoya ul. Kopernika 32 m.8www.zoya.art.pl

Green Gallery ul. Krzywe Ko∏o 2/4www.greengallery.pl

Katarzyna Napiórkowska Art Galleryul. Âwi´tokrzyska 32, ul.Krakowskie PrzedmieÊcie 42/44and Old Town Square 19/21www.napiorkowska.pl

Królikarnia National Galleryul. Pu∏awska 113awww.krolikarnia.mnw.art.pl

Le Guern Galleryul. Widok 8, www.leguern.pl

Museum of IndependenceAleja SolidarnoÊci 62www.muzeumniepodleglosci.art.pl

National Museum in Warsaw Al. Jerozolimskie 3www.mnw.art.pl

Polish National Opera atTeatr WielkiPl. Teatralny 1www.teatrwielki.pl

Pracownia Galeriaul. Emilii Plater 14www.pracowniagaleria.pl

Rempex Art and Auction Houseul. Karowa 31www.rempex.com.pl

Royal CastlePl. Zamkowy 4www.zamek-krolewski.com.pl

Simonis Galleryul. Burakowska 9www.simonisgallery.com

State ArchaeologicalMuseum in Warsawul. D∏uga 52 (Arsena∏) www.pma.pl

State Ethnographic Museumul. Kredytowa 1www.ethnomuseum.website.pl

Historical Museum of Warsaw Old Town Square 28-42www.mhw.pl

History Meeting House of Warsaw ul. Karowa 20www.dsh.waw.pl

Warsaw Philharmonic ul. Jasna 5www.filharmonia.pl

Warsaw Rising Museum ul. Grzybowska 79www.1944.pl

Wilanów Palace Museumand Wilanów PosterMuseumul. St Kostki Potockiego 10/16www.milanow-palac.plwww.postermuseum.pl

Zachęta National Art GalleryPl. Ma∏achowskiego 3www.zacheta.art.pl

Museums, galleries and venues in Warsaw

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Chambao

Chambao

Opera

GGhhoossttllyy ggooiinnggss oonn

CCuuttttiinngg--eeddggee ccuuiissiinnee

JUNE 11-17, 2012 LLAASSTT WWOORRDD www.wbj.pl 23

EE33 ggeettss iittss ggaammee oonn,, ssttrruugggglleess ttoo iimmpprreessssTech Eye

E3, the biggest event in the video-game industry’s calendar, was heldlast week in Los Angeles amid ahaze of smoke and spectacle, glitzand glamor. Execs and entertain-ment luminaries alike proclaimed2012 the most exciting year for theindustry “like, ever!”

A decade ago they would haveactually meant it. Back then E3 wasa debauched affair, an exercise inexcess featuring scantily clad “boothbabes” and crowds upwards of60,000. There were overfed nerds asfar as the eye could see – attendingwas like navigating a vast sea filledwith agitated pufferfish.

The times have changed. The

2012 event worked hard to conjurethe buoyant spirit of conventionspast, but the strain showed. Years ofeconomic uncertainty have forced theindustry to tighten its collective belt.Indeed, E3 2012 was characterized asmuch by what wasn’t there – next-generation consoles and a number ofmajor companies – as by what was.

The most important players inthe industry, Microsoft and Sony,said nothing of successors to their(respective) Xbox 360 and PlaySta-tion 3 consoles. As a result, theirpress conferences were tinged withblah as they showcased “new hot-nesses” for long-in-the-tooth gamingplatforms.

Microsoft is still betting heavilyon Kinect, the motion- and voice-input peripheral that it launched inQ4 2010 with the not-insubstantialassistance of a $500-million market-ing campaign. Kinect is a powerfultechnology that’s been adapted to anumber of fascinating non-gaminguses – including keyhole surgery –but its application in games has beenmore miss than hit. Microsoft nowseems to be falling back on thedevice’s voice-input potential morethan motion-sensing, adding voicecommands to sports games like“FIFA 13” and “Madden NFL 13.”

The IT giant’s strategy alsohinges on Xbox SmartGlass, an appthat interconnects mobile devices(tablets, smartphones) with homeentertainment; new media partner-ships with brands like Nike andmajor American sports leagues; anda new entry in its blockbuster Halofranchise.

Sony’s offering was even less sub-stantial. The Japanese firm unveileda PlayStation Move steering wheelperipheral, showcased titles for theVita handheld device and enthusedover a perfunctory update to itsmobile-content strategy. It alsopushed a number of triple-A games,

like “Assassin’s Creed 3,” “God ofWar Ascension” and, most spectacu-larly, “Beyond: Two Souls,” a newtitle from Quantic Dream, the“story-first” French developerbehind 2010’s cinematic masterpiece“Heavy Rain.”

The biggest surprise from Sonywas a peripheral called Wonder-book, which aims to bring augment-ed reality to kids’ books. The ulti-mate in pop-up, so to speak. “Bookof Spells” (pictured), a Harry Potter-themed title, will be the first release.The appearance of Wonderbook thislate in the PS3’s lifespan is a littleworrying though – unless Sony plansto support it heavily now and onnext-generation hardware, then thiscould turn out to be 2012’s biggestboondoggle.

Nintendo was the onlycompany at E3 showcasinga new console: its Wii suc-cessor, the Wii U. Still, theconsole was officiallyunveiled last year and, interms of technical per-formance, it is only on parwith the PS3 and Xbox 360– hardware released yearsago. Thus far the responsefrom industry observers

has been one of cautious optimismand muted excitement.

The Wii U’s unique selling pointis its large, touchscreen-enabledcontroller, which has been updatedsince E3 2011 with better-spacedbuttons and a few other quality-of-life changes. It was revealed that theWii U supports two such controllers(some had speculated that the limitwould be one), but that adding a sec-ond controller drops a game’s framerate by half. Unwelcome news, that.

Otherwise, the House that MarioBuilt spent most of its effort on soft-ware, announcing around 23 gamesfor the Wii U. These include “SuperMario Bros U,” “Wii Fit U,” “Pik-min 3” and updated versions of“Batman: Arkham City” and “MassEffect 3.” ●

Ever navigated a vast sea filled with agitated pufferfish? Let us know: techeye.wbj@gmail.com

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Microsoft’s

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