STAGE 5 : The European Union What we learnt about Spain and Poland by France.

Mobility ● Both Spain and Poland find the ID card easier than the passport which cost more and in Poland took 3 months to be made. With the European Health Card, any European citizen can get medical care if necessary when travelling in Europe. ● Both enjoy the free mobility of people. Spain stresses the advantage of a market economy and Poland likes the easier access to Germany which is a neighbouring country. ● Spain changed from the peseta to the euro in It made travelling easier but prices went up. Poland still has the zloty. ● A number of Polish students choose to study in Germany or England and the equivalent rating of diplomas simplifies the procedure. Spanish students favour Erasmus programmes to study abroad. ● The European Union helps new Polish companies financially to get started.Telefonica, a Spanish company is present in the UK, Ireland, Germany, The Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Gaz Natural has plants in France, Italy and Portugal.

Here is the story of the clever European consumer … The Euro He lives in Madrid – the same size appartment in Warsaw would cost him more !- Every morning, he puts on one of his Nike suits he bought in Žarki –he got three for the price of one in Martorell !!!- and goes down the street to enjoy a cup of coffee, only €1,20, five times cheaper than in Poland, can you believe it ? Later in the day, he gets into his mini car which he bought in Poland for financial reasons and drives to the butcher’s shop. « One kilo of chicken, please ! » In the evening, he drives to Žarki again and goes to the movies. When he has time, he calls his friends and takes photos with his brand new cellphone which he purchased in Spain as he was unable to find one in Poland, for some reason… Isn’t he clever ? So much money saved every day !!!

Migration movements Regarding migration movements, there are important differences between Poland and Spain. Poland is a is a monocultural country with very little immigration. Before it joined the EU in 2006, immigrants represented 3% of the population. Armenians are the biggest group, then Ukrainians, Belarussians & Vietnamese. 1 million people from 13 different countries all together. As for emigration, after WWII, some Polish people fled Communism and went mainly to the USA and to the UK. Today, people go and find work in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Finland. When they have saved enough money, they come back and have a house built or build it themselves. Poland Migration movements are part of Spanish history. They have always existed. In modern times, starting with the Civil War in 1938, people escaped to Central America, Mali in Africa, Germany, Switzerland and France. The movement continued in the 50s for economic and political reasons. In the 1980s, Spanish emigrants came back to their native land and a number of South Americans immigrated to Spain for political reasons. More followed in the 1990s but for economic ones. In 2000, more people from Argentina and other South American countries settled in Spain. Spain

The End ● ● ● ● ● ● P.S. Migration movements between the 6 partner countries of the Comenius programme : « Sharing Cultures: a journey towards a better knowledge of our identities. » Aydin Zarki Stara Zagora Satu Mare Grasse Martorell