Poland Exposes Cracks in Its Booming Economy Before Crunch Vote
Donald Tusk’s government needs to keep businesses onside, and many want to see faster action on energy, bureaucracy and taxation.
Poland’s economy is one of the fastest growing in the European Union.
Photographer: Damian Lemanski/BloombergThe economy is thriving, inflation is slowing and the currency and stock market are among the best performing in the world this year. Yet for business owner Robert Galara, Poland’s enviable metrics disguise a dangerous discontentment ahead of this weekend’s crunch election.
Once a core body of support for Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s ruling Civic Platform party, entrepreneurs are growing frustrated with surging energy costs and taxes. Meanwhile, the government’s promise to deploy additional European Union funds — the driver of Poland’s economic transformation — has yet to make an impact, leaving some industries struggling for new contracts.