Article Page with Financial Support Promotion<\/title><\/p>\n<\/head> \n<body><\/p>\n<div id=\"membershipOverlay\">\n<h2>Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it.<\/h2>\nSupport journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you.<\/p>\nHelp us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation.<\/p>\nEvery contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories \u2014no paywalls, just quality journalism.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/body> \n<\/html><\/div>\nWe are a great nation but medium-size country. We cherish our long history \u2013 this year marks a millennium since the coronation of our first king \u2013 but our population is much smaller than that of merely Beijing and Shanghai combined. Poland needs allies to boost its potential on the international stage.<\/p>\nWhat\u2019s been true for Poland \u2013 in 1990 a poor country coming out of four decades of Russian domination and economic mismanagement \u2013 might well be true for many of the so-called \u201cmiddle powers\u201d in Asia, Africa and South America looking for room to grow.<\/p>\nThese countries often need what Poland desperately needed 35 years ago and still profits from: good governance, foreign investments with no strings attached, but above all political stability, rule of law, and predictable international environment with neighbours eager not to wage wars but work together for mutual benefit. In fact, these factors can benefit every country, no matter the level of their GDP.<\/p>\nToday, the international order is being challenged on multiple fronts. Sometimes for good reasons. Decades-old institutions \u2013 including the UN and its Security Council \u2013 are unrepresentative of the global community and incapable of dealing with the challenges we face. What they need, however, is to be thoroughly reformed, not entirely rejected.<\/p>\nImperialist Illusions<\/strong><\/p>\nTo those desperate for change, force might look appealing. It would be a mistake. Abandoning forums for international dialogue and resorting to violence will not get us far.<\/p>\nTake Russia\u2019s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine. According to Kremlin\u2019s propaganda, it is a justified reaction to Western imperialism allegedly threatening Russia\u2019s security. In fact, it is a modern-day colonial war against Ukrainian people who \u2013 just like us Poles 30 years ago \u2013 want a better life and realise that they can never achieve this goal by going back to subjugation to Russia. That is what they are being punished for \u2013 an effort to free themselves from the control of a former metropolis. Kremlin\u2019s aggression is a desperate struggle of a failing empire to restore its sphere of influence.<\/p>\nRussian victory \u2013 may it never come \u2013 would not create a more just global order. It wouldn\u2019t benefit countries dissatisfied with where things stand now. It wouldn\u2019t even bring about a more just and prosperous Russia. Suffice to say, there are now more political prisoners in Russia than there were in the 1980s when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. There are many more casualties as well.<\/p>\nWar is hardly ever a shortcut to prosperity. Over the last millennium, Poland experienced its share of invasions and uprisings against occupying forces. What finally brought us prosperity were three decades of peace, predictability, international cooperation and political stability.<\/p>\nThat is why on assuming the presidency of the Council of the European Union, Poland made its priority clear \u2013 security in its many dimensions, from military, through economic to digital. Europe safe, prosperous and open for business can benefit not only Europeans but a greater global community. Just as it benefited Poland over the last three decades.<\/p>\nIt may sound dull but it worked. Just look at the numbers.<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rados%C5%82aw_Sikorski\">Rados\u0142aw Sikorski<\/a> is Poland\u2019s foreign minister.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<hr>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<h3>Support PREMIUM TIMES’ journalism of integrity and credibility<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\nAt\u00a0Premium Times, we firmly believe in the importance of high-quality journalism. Recognizing that not everyone can afford costly news subscriptions, we are dedicated to delivering meticulously researched, fact-checked news that remains freely accessible to all.<\/p>\nWhether you turn to Premium Times for daily updates, in-depth investigations into pressing national issues, or entertaining trending stories, we value your readership.<\/p>\nIt\u2019s essential to acknowledge that news production incurs expenses, and we take pride in never placing our stories behind a prohibitive paywall.<\/p>\nWould you consider supporting us with a modest contribution on a monthly basis\u00a0to help maintain our commitment to free, accessible news?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumtimesng.com\/support\">Make Contribution<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<hr>\n<hr>\nTEXT AD:<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.premiumtimesng.com\/#\">Call Willie – +2348098788999<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<hr>\n<hr>\n<hr>\n<hr>\n<hr>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/premiumtimes.ecwid.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/media.premiumtimesng.com\/wp-content\/files\/2019\/06\/pt-magazine-advert.gif?ssl=1\" alt=\"PT Mag Campaign AD\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumtimesng.com\/opinion\/775429-poland-the-road-to-prosperity-by-radoslaw-sikorski.html\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u2026on assuming the presidency of the Council of the European Union, Poland made its priority clear \u2013 security in its many dimensions, from military, through economic to digital. Europe safe, prosperous and open for business can benefit not only Europeans but a greater global community. Just as it benefited Poland over the last three decades\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":834253,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39824,67363],"tags":[47141,88608],"class_list":["post-834252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-poland","category-prosperity","tag-poland","tag-prosperity"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/834252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=834252"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/834252\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/834253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=834252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=834252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=834252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\u2026on assuming the presidency of the Council of the European Union, Poland made its priority clear \u2013 security in its many dimensions, from military, through economic to digital. Europe safe, prosperous and open for business can benefit not only Europeans but a greater global community. Just as it benefited Poland over the last three decades\u2026 It may sound dull but it worked. Just look at the numbers.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Browsing social media<\/a>, I have recently come across a map showing all the countries with GDP per capita higher than Poland\u2019s back in 1990 and in 2018. The difference was striking. While 35 years ago there were quite a few such countries not only in Europe but also in South America, Asia and Africa, in time their number has significantly decreased. In 2018 there were no longer any South American or African states highlighted on the map.<\/p>\n
By 2025, the group has shrunk even further. According to IMF\u2019s data, Poland\u2019s GDP in 1990 was a mere $6,690 in current dollars. By 2024 it grew almost eight-fold<\/a> to $51,630. All that in just three decades \u2013 one generation. And it goes on. According to the European Commission\u2019s forecast, in the years 2024 to 2025, the Polish economy will be the fastest growing large economy<\/a> in the European Union.<\/p>\n
How did it happen? Apart from the hard work of our citizens, two major factors \u2013 or, to be more precise, two institutions \u2013 contributed to the economic success: NATO and the European Union.<\/p>\n
The first, which Poland joined in 1999, provided security guarantees and helped overcome decades-old division between Eastern and Western Europe. The second, which we joined five years later, took the process of easing long-standing disparities one step further. It granted new member states access to so-called \u201ccohesion funds\u201d but most importantly to the common European market.<\/p>\n
Sources of Success<\/strong><\/p>\n
After the fall of communism in Poland in 1989 and the return of messy democratic politics, despite all day-to-day political squabbles, one thing remained constant no matter who was in power \u2013 Poland\u2019s determination to join the two aforementioned organisations. Why?<\/p>\n
\n

\n
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\nArticle Page with Financial Support Promotion<\/title><\/p>\n<\/head> \n<body><\/p>\n<div id=\"membershipOverlay\">\n<h2>Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it.<\/h2>\nSupport journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you.<\/p>\nHelp us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation.<\/p>\nEvery contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories \u2014no paywalls, just quality journalism.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/body> \n<\/html><\/div>\nWe are a great nation but medium-size country. We cherish our long history \u2013 this year marks a millennium since the coronation of our first king \u2013 but our population is much smaller than that of merely Beijing and Shanghai combined. Poland needs allies to boost its potential on the international stage.<\/p>\nWhat\u2019s been true for Poland \u2013 in 1990 a poor country coming out of four decades of Russian domination and economic mismanagement \u2013 might well be true for many of the so-called \u201cmiddle powers\u201d in Asia, Africa and South America looking for room to grow.<\/p>\nThese countries often need what Poland desperately needed 35 years ago and still profits from: good governance, foreign investments with no strings attached, but above all political stability, rule of law, and predictable international environment with neighbours eager not to wage wars but work together for mutual benefit. In fact, these factors can benefit every country, no matter the level of their GDP.<\/p>\nToday, the international order is being challenged on multiple fronts. Sometimes for good reasons. Decades-old institutions \u2013 including the UN and its Security Council \u2013 are unrepresentative of the global community and incapable of dealing with the challenges we face. What they need, however, is to be thoroughly reformed, not entirely rejected.<\/p>\nImperialist Illusions<\/strong><\/p>\nTo those desperate for change, force might look appealing. It would be a mistake. Abandoning forums for international dialogue and resorting to violence will not get us far.<\/p>\nTake Russia\u2019s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine. According to Kremlin\u2019s propaganda, it is a justified reaction to Western imperialism allegedly threatening Russia\u2019s security. In fact, it is a modern-day colonial war against Ukrainian people who \u2013 just like us Poles 30 years ago \u2013 want a better life and realise that they can never achieve this goal by going back to subjugation to Russia. That is what they are being punished for \u2013 an effort to free themselves from the control of a former metropolis. Kremlin\u2019s aggression is a desperate struggle of a failing empire to restore its sphere of influence.<\/p>\nRussian victory \u2013 may it never come \u2013 would not create a more just global order. It wouldn\u2019t benefit countries dissatisfied with where things stand now. It wouldn\u2019t even bring about a more just and prosperous Russia. Suffice to say, there are now more political prisoners in Russia than there were in the 1980s when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. There are many more casualties as well.<\/p>\nWar is hardly ever a shortcut to prosperity. Over the last millennium, Poland experienced its share of invasions and uprisings against occupying forces. What finally brought us prosperity were three decades of peace, predictability, international cooperation and political stability.<\/p>\nThat is why on assuming the presidency of the Council of the European Union, Poland made its priority clear \u2013 security in its many dimensions, from military, through economic to digital. Europe safe, prosperous and open for business can benefit not only Europeans but a greater global community. Just as it benefited Poland over the last three decades.<\/p>\nIt may sound dull but it worked. Just look at the numbers.<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rados%C5%82aw_Sikorski\">Rados\u0142aw Sikorski<\/a> is Poland\u2019s foreign minister.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<hr>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<h3>Support PREMIUM TIMES’ journalism of integrity and credibility<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\nAt\u00a0Premium Times, we firmly believe in the importance of high-quality journalism. Recognizing that not everyone can afford costly news subscriptions, we are dedicated to delivering meticulously researched, fact-checked news that remains freely accessible to all.<\/p>\nWhether you turn to Premium Times for daily updates, in-depth investigations into pressing national issues, or entertaining trending stories, we value your readership.<\/p>\nIt\u2019s essential to acknowledge that news production incurs expenses, and we take pride in never placing our stories behind a prohibitive paywall.<\/p>\nWould you consider supporting us with a modest contribution on a monthly basis\u00a0to help maintain our commitment to free, accessible news?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumtimesng.com\/support\">Make Contribution<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<hr>\n<hr>\nTEXT AD:<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.premiumtimesng.com\/#\">Call Willie – +2348098788999<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<hr>\n<hr>\n<hr>\n<hr>\n<hr>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/premiumtimes.ecwid.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/media.premiumtimesng.com\/wp-content\/files\/2019\/06\/pt-magazine-advert.gif?ssl=1\" alt=\"PT Mag Campaign AD\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumtimesng.com\/opinion\/775429-poland-the-road-to-prosperity-by-radoslaw-sikorski.html\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u2026on assuming the presidency of the Council of the European Union, Poland made its priority clear \u2013 security in its many dimensions, from military, through economic to digital. Europe safe, prosperous and open for business can benefit not only Europeans but a greater global community. Just as it benefited Poland over the last three decades\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":834253,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39824,67363],"tags":[47141,88608],"class_list":["post-834252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-poland","category-prosperity","tag-poland","tag-prosperity"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/834252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=834252"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/834252\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/834253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=834252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=834252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=834252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}