1. Poland

2. History Solidarity—labor union
Strike Aug. 31, 1980
Signed 21-pt. Agreement with Commy gov’t
Had U.S. support, Reagan saw as courageous movement
By 1990—elections!
1795—Third partition divides Europe between A-H, Russia, and Prussia
1920—Poland restored after WW I
1939—Poland invaded
1945—Becomes Soviet satellite and member of UN
1980—Solidarity strike in Gdansk led by Lech Walesa
1999-Joined NATO

3. Facts Population: 38,500,696 (July 2008 est.)
Ethnic groups: Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Belarusian 0.1%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 2.7% (2002 census)
Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Belarusian 0.1%, Ukranian 0.1%, Unspecified 2.7%
Language: 97.8% Polish speaking. 2.2% unspecified
Religion: 90% Roman Catholic (75% practicing), 8% Protestant
Life Expectancy: Male 70.9 / Female 79.2
Birth rate: 1.25 children born per woman (child/woman)
SEX Ratio: At birth-1.06 male/female
Total male/female
Birth/Death Rate: Birth rate births/1000
Death rate births/1000
Population Growth Rate: -0.05% (2006 est.)
Literacy: 99.8% total population, 99.8% men/99.7% women

4. Political Parties ----->Right Wing Law and Justice
Alliance of the Right
Citizens Platform
Conservative People's Party
League of Polish Families
Union for Real Politic
Catholic-National Movement
Moderates
Polish Peasant Party
Democratic Party
Left Wing<----
Alliance of the Democratic Left-Labour Union
Social Democracy of Poland
Union of the Left
Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland

5. The Executive of Poland
chief of state: President Lech KACZYNSKI (since 23 December 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Donald TUSK (since 16 November 2007)
PM comes from majority party in Sejm
Famous: Lech Walesa

6. Presdent of the Republic of Poland
cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 9 and 23 October 2005 (next to be held in the fall 2010); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm election results: Lech KACZYNSKI elected president; percent of popular vote - Lech KACZYNSKI 54%, Donald Tusk 46%

7. (Cont.) Aidsdell Head of State
Calls elections to the Sejm and the Senate
Calls national referendum
Selects his own Prime Minister
Heads Executive authority
Represents Polish interests
Ensures observance of the Constitution
Has a veto (can be overruled by 3/5 vote of at least ½ of the members of the Sejm)

8. Supreme Court Supreme Court judges are appointed by the
president on the recommendation of the
National Council of the Judiciary for an
indefinite period. Judges are chosen by the Sejm for
nine-year terms

9. Courts
The Supreme Court supervises the adjudication in: • General courts - these are district, voivodeship, and appeal courts. They adjudicate in the areas of civil, criminal, family and labour law. • Military courts - that is circuit and garrison courts. They deal with matters relating to crimes committed by soldiers in active service, civilian employees in military units, and prisoners of war. • Administrative courts - a separate court system which deals with adjudication on the legal compliance of decisions taken by administrative bodies. It also settles cases between legal persons (corporations) or private citizens and administrative bodies.

10. Polish Parliament Called the Sejm There are 460 deputies in the Sejm.
There is a 5% (8% for registered coalitions) threshold for election to the Sejm.
Most debates are held here, and bills are introduced.
There are 100 seats in the polish senate
This is the upper house
and bills can be vetoed
here

11. "Shock Therapy" in Poland
State-owned enterprises were sold to the private sector
Interest rates were pushed higher than normal, inflation kept as low as possible >300-->100-->30%
Opened all borders to foreign investment
Polish labor is cheap and skilled; Poland was able to capitalize on this

12. Failure of Reforms: mid 1990's
Inflation returning
Unemployment > 10%
Average citizen not better off than a decade ago
Much more economic inequality
Rise is support for ex-Communists (Walesa not re-elected in 1995)

13. Poland Today Poland is a parliamentary republic.
Poland is relatively well endowed with natural resources.
The engineering, food, textile, chemical, electronic, fuel and power industries are the most developed in Poland.
There are 159 institutions of higher education in Poland, with an enrollment of about 682,000 students.
A lot of foreign tourists visit Poland every year.
Major supporter of the U.S.

14. Polish Political Culture
Low-context;
unlike “high-context” China or Saudi Arabia that protects itself, turns inward when exposed to other influences
Poles want close economic and cultural ties with Europe

15. Polish Foreign Policy
Trusts the U.S. more than Europe, fears Russian expansion (U.S. gave MFN, special relationship)
U.S. gave $4.6 B in debt relief , largest E. Europe recipient of U.S. aid
American firms invest in Poland heavily
European politicians see Poland as a spokesperson for U.S. policy
Primary goal: European integration

16. Economy GDP (purchasing power parity): $624.6 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $413.3 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: % (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $16,200 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by agriculture: 4.1% industry: 31.9% services: 64% (2007 est.)
Labor force: million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 16.1% industry: 29% services: 54.9% (2002)
Unemployment rate: % (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line: % (2003 est.)
sector:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): % (December 2007 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): % of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget: revenues: $80.53 billion expenditures: $88.7 billion (2007 est.)
Public debt: % of GDP (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products: potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork, dairy
Industries: machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles

17. *This Poland Powerpoint was made using the help of
CIA world factbook, Mr. Baysdell, Roger Wagner, and Austin Beattie

18. Republic of Poland Austin Beattie Jake Reid Roger Wagner Polish Flag!
turd
Austin Beattie
Jake Reid
Roger Wagner
Map of Poland!
Polish Coat of Arms!

19. POLAND POPULATION: 38,536,869 (July 2006 est.)
Ethnicity: Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Belarusian 0.1%, Ukranian 0.1%, Unspecified 2.7%
Languages: 97.8% Polish speaking. 2.2% unspecified
Religion: 90% Roman Catholic (75% practicing), 8% Protestant
Life Expectancy: Male 70.9 / Female 79.2
Birth rate: 1.25 children born per woman (child/woman)
SEX Ratio: At birth-1.06 male/female
Total male/female
Birth/Death Rate: Birth rate births/1000
Death rate births/1000
Population Growth Rate: -0.05% (2006 est.)
Literacy: 99.8% total population, 99.8% men/99.7% women

20. Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz
Executive
President
Lech Kaczyński
Prime Minister
Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz

21. President of the Republic of Poland Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej
Plays a very important role
5-year terms
Aidsdell
Head of State
Calls elections to the Sejm and the Senate
Calls national referendum
Selects his own Prime Minister
Heads Executive authority
Represents Polish interests
Ensures observance of the Constitution
Has a veto (can be overruled by 3/5 vote of at least ½ of the members of the Sejm)

22. Other Presidential Duties
Ratifies and revokes international agreements
Nominates and recalls ambassadors
Accepts accreditations of representatives of other states
Right of clemency
Can dismiss final court verdicts

23. Supreme Commander of Armed Forces
Appoints Chief General of Staff
Appoints Commanders of all Armed Forces
During wartime, he nominates Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
Orders Mobilization

24. Political Parties Left Wing<----
Alliance of the Democratic Left-Labour Union
Social Democracy of Poland
Union of the Left
Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland
Line Riders
Polish Peasant Party
Democratic Party
----->Right Wing
Law and Justice
Alliance of the Right
Citizens Platform
Conservative People's Party
League of Polish Families
Union for Real Politic
Catholic-National Movement

25. Bicameral legislature consisting of an upper house
Polish Parliament
Bicameral legislature consisting of an upper house
Sejm
lower house
460 seats
members are elected under proportional representation
serve four-year terms
Senate
upper house
100 seats
elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis
serve four-year terms
the designation of National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only used on those rare occasions when the two houses meet jointly

26. The Senate
The Senate may reject or amend the bills passed by the Sejm, but any rejection or amendment may still be overruled by an absolute majority vote in the Sejm.
A joint session of the Senate and the Sejm is known as a National Assembly.
Traditionally, the Senate takes particular care of Polonia, Polish communities outside Poland.

27. The Sejm
History:
Before the 20th century, the term "Sejm" referred to the entire three-chamber Polish parliament, comprising the lower house (Chamber of Deputies; Polish: Izba Poselska), the upper house (Senate; Polish: Senat) and the King. It was commonly termed a three-estate parliament. Since the Second Polish Republic ( ), the term "Sejm" has referred only to the lower house of the parliament; the upper house is called the “Senat”.

28. Judiciary Supreme Court judges are appointed by the
president on the recommendation of the
National Council of the Judiciary for an
indefinite period. Judges are chosen by the Sejm for
nine-year terms

29. Courts
The Supreme Court supervises the adjudication in: • General courts - these are district, voivodeship, and appeal courts. They adjudicate in the areas of civil, criminal, family and labour law. • Military courts - that is circuit and garrison courts. They deal with matters relating to crimes committed by soldiers in active service, civilian employees in military units, and prisoners of war. • Administrative courts - a separate court system which deals with adjudication on the legal compliance of decisions taken by administrative bodies. It also settles cases between legal persons (corporations) or private citizens and administrative bodies.

30. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the court of last resort of appeal against judgements in the lower courts. It also passes resolutions to clarify specific legal provisions and resolve disputable questions in specific cases.

31. Economy Much remains to be done
GDP - per capita (PPP): $13,300 (2005 est.)
Labor force: 17.1 million (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate: 18.3% (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (2005 est.)
Public debt: 47.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of economic liberalization throughout the 1990s and today stands out as a success story among transition economies.
Much remains to be done
bringing down the unemployment rate (the highest in the EU)
The privatization of small- and medium-sized state-owned companies
Poland's agricultural sector remains handicapped by surplus labor, inefficient small farms, and lack of investment.

32. Economy Much remains to be done
GDP - per capita (PPP): $13,300 (2005 est.)
Labor force: 17.1 million (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate: 18.3% (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (2005 est.)
Public debt: 47.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of economic liberalization throughout the 1990s and today stands out as a success story among transition economies.
Much remains to be done
bringing down the unemployment rate (the highest in the EU)
The privatization of small- and medium-sized state-owned companies
Poland's agricultural sector remains handicapped by surplus labor, inefficient small farms, and lack of investment.