POLAND
Compiled from the January 2005 Background Note and supplemented with additional information from the State Department and the editors of this volume. See the introduction to this set for explanatory notes.
Official Name:
Republic of Poland
PROFILE
Geography
Area: 312,683 sq. km. (120,725 sq. mi.); about the size of New Mexico.
Cities: (2004) Capital—Warsaw (pop. 1,690,821). Other cities—Lodz (776,297), Krakow (757,957), Wroclaw (636,854), Poznan (573,003), Gdansk (460,524).
Terrain: Flat plain, except mountains along southern border.
Climate: Temperate continental.
People
Nationality: Noun—Pole(s). Adjective—Polish.
Population: (December 2003) 38.2 million.
Annual growth rate: Unchanging.
Ethnic groups: Polish 98%, German, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Lithuanian.
Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Eastern Orthodox, Uniate, Protestant, Judaism.
Language: Polish.
Education: Literacy—98%.
Health: (2000) Infant mortality rate—8.1/1,000. Life expectancy—males 70 yrs., females 78 yrs.
Work force: 17.0 million. Industry and construction—25.3%; agriculture—28.7%; trade and business—28.0%; government and other—18.0%.
Government
Type: Republic.
Constitution: The constitution now in effect was approved by a national referendum on May 25, 1997. The constitution codifies Poland's democratic norms and establishes checks and balances among the president, prime minister, and parliament. It also enhances several key elements of democracy, including judicial review and the legislative process, while continuing to guarantee the wide range of civil rights, such as the right to free speech, press, and assembly, which Poles have enjoyed since 1989.
Branches: Executive—head of state (president), head of government (prime minister). Legislative—bicameral National Assembly (lower house—Sejm, upper house—Senate). Judicial—Supreme Court, provincial and local courts, constitutional tribunal.
Administrative subdivisions: 16 provinces (voivodships).
Political parties: (in Parliament) Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), Citizens Platform (PO), Self-Defense (SO), Law and Justice (PiS), Polish Peasant Party (PSL), League of Polish Families (LPR), Union of Labor (UP), and Social Democracy of Poland (SdPl).
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
Economy
GDP: (2003) $209.5 billion.
Real GDP growth: (2003) 3.8%
Per capita GDP: (2003) $5,270.
Rate of inflation: (2003) 0.7%.
Natural resources: Coal, copper, sulfur, natural gas, silver, lead, salt.
Agriculture: Products—grains, hogs, dairy, potatoes, horticulture, sugarbeets, oilseed.
Industry: Types—machine building, iron and steel, mining, shipbuilding, automobiles, furniture, textiles and apparel, chemicals, food processing, glass, beverages.
Trade: (2003) Exports—$61.0 billion: furniture, cars, ships, coal, apparel. Imports—$66.7 billion: crude oil, passenger cars, pharmaceuticals, car parts, computers.
PEOPLE
Poland today is ethnically almost homogeneous (98% Polish), in contrast with the World War II period, when there were significant ethnic minorities—4.5 million Ukrainians, 3 million Jews, 1 million Belarusians, and 800,000 Germans. The majority of the Jews were murdered during the German occupation in World War II, and many others emigrated in the succeeding years.
Most Germans left Poland at the end of the war, while many Ukrainians and Belarusians lived in territories incorporated into the then-U.S.S.R. Small Ukrainian, Belarusian, Slovakian, and Lithuanian minorities reside along the borders, and a German minority is concentrated near the southwest city of Opole.
HISTORY
Poland's written history begins with the reign of Mieszko I, who accepted Christianity for himself and his kingdom in AD 966. The Polish state reached its zenith under the Jagiellonian dynasty in the years following the union with Lithuania in 1386 and the subsequent defeat of the Teutonic Knights at Grunwald in 1410. The monarchy survived many upheavals but eventually went into a decline, which ended with the final partition of Poland by Prussia, Russia, and Austria in 1795.
Independence for Poland was one of the 14 points enunciated by President Woodrow Wilson during World War I. Many Polish Americans enlisted in the military services to further this aim, and the United States worked at the postwar conference to ensure its implementation.
However, the Poles were largely responsible for achieving their own independence in 1918. Authoritarian rule predominated for most of the period before World War II. On August 23, 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Ribbentrop-Molotov nonaggression pact, which secretly provided for the dismemberment of Poland into Nazi and Soviet-controlled zones. On September 1, 1939, Hitler ordered his troops into Poland. On September 17, Soviet troops invaded and then occupied eastern Poland under the terms of this agreement. After Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, Poland was completely occupied by German troops.
The Poles formed an underground resistance movement and a government in exile, first in Paris and later in London, which was recognized by the Soviet Union. During World War II, 400,000 Poles fought under Soviet command, and 200,000 went into combat on Western fronts in units loyal to the Polish government in exile.
In April 1943, the Soviet Union broke relations with the Polish government in exile after the German military announced that they had discovered mass graves of murdered Polish army officers at Katyn, in the U.S.S.R. (The Soviets claimed that the Poles had insulted them by requesting that the Red Cross investigate these reports.) In July 1944, the Soviet Red Army entered Poland and established a communist-controlled "Polish Committee of National Liberation" at Lublin.
Resistance against the Nazis in Warsaw, including uprisings by Jews in the Warsaw ghetto and by the Polish underground, was brutally suppressed. As the Germans retreated in January 1945, they leveled the city.
During the war, about 6 million Poles were killed, and 2.5 million were deported to Germany for forced labor. More than 3 million Jews (all but about 100,000 of the Jewish population) were killed in death camps like those at Oswiecim (Auschwitz), Treblinka, and Majdanek.
Following the Yalta Conference in February 1945, a Polish Provisional Government of National Unity was formed in June 1945; the U.S. recognized it the next month. Although the Yalta agreement called for free elections, those held in January 1947 were controlled by the Communist Party. The communists then established a regime entirely under their domination.
Communist Party Domination
In October 1956, after the 20th ("de-Stalinization") Soviet Party Congress in Moscow and riots by workers in Poznan, there was a shakeup in the communist regime. While retaining most traditional communist economic and social aims, the regime of First Secretary Wladyslaw Gomulka liberalized Polish internal life.
In 1968, the trend reversed when student demonstrations were suppressed and an "anti-Zionist" campaign initially directed against Gomulka supporters within the party eventually led to the emigration of much of Poland's remaining Jewish population. In December 1970, disturbances and strikes in the port cities of Gdansk, Gdynia, and Szczecin, triggered by a price increase for essential consumer goods, reflected deep dissatisfaction with living and working conditions in the country. Edward Gierek replaced Gomulka as First Secretary.
Fueled by large infusions of Western credit, Poland's economic growth rate was one of the world's highest during the first half of the 1970s. But much of the borrowed capital was misspent, and the centrally planned economy was unable to use the new resources effectively. The growing debt burden became insupportable in the late 1970s, and economic growth had become negative by 1979.
In October 1978, the Bishop of Krakow, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, became Pope John Paul II, head of the Roman Catholic Church. Polish Catholics rejoiced at the elevation of a Pole to the papacy and greeted his June 1979 visit to Poland with an outpouring of emotion.
In July 1980, with the Polish foreign debt at more than $20 billion, the government made another attempt to increase meat prices. A chain reaction of strikes virtually paralyzed the Baltic coast by the end of August and, for the first time, closed most coal mines in Silesia. Poland was entering into an extended crisis that would change the course of its future development.
The Solidarity Movement
On August 31, 1980, workers at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk, led by an electrician named Lech Walesa, signed a 21-point agreement with the government that ended their strike. Similar agreements were signed at Szczecin and in Silesia. The key provision of these agreements was the
guarantee of the workers' right to form independent trade unions and the right to strike. After the Gdansk agreement was signed, a new national union movement—"Solidarity"—swept Poland.
The discontent underlying the strikes was intensified by revelations of widespread corruption and mismanagement within the Polish state and party leadership. In September 1980, Gierek was replaced by Stanislaw Kania as First Secretary.
Alarmed by the rapid deterioration of the PZPR's authority following the Gdansk agreement, the Soviet Union proceeded with a massive military buildup along Poland's border in December 1980. In February 1981, Defense Minister Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski assumed the position of Prime Minister as well, and in October 1981, he also was named party First Secretary. At the first Solidarity national congress in September-October 1981, Lech Walesa was elected national chairman of the union.
On December 12-13, the regime declared martial law, under which the army and special riot police were used to crush the union. Virtually all Solidarity leaders and many affiliated intellectuals were arrested or detained. The United States and other Western countries responded to martial law by imposing economic sanctions against the Polish regime and against the Soviet Union. Unrest in Poland continued for several years thereafter.
In a series of slow, uneven steps, the Polish regime rescinded martial law. In December 1982, martial law was suspended, and a small number of political prisoners were released. Although martial law formally ended in July 1983 and a general amnesty was enacted, several hundred political prisoners remained in jail.
In July 1984, another general amnesty was declared, and 2 years later, the government had released nearly all political prisoners. The authorities continued, however, to harass dissidents and Solidarity activists. Solidarity remained proscribed and its publications banned. Independent publications were censored.
Roundtable Talks and Elections
The government's inability to forestall Poland's economic decline led to waves of strikes across the country in April, May, and August 1988. In an attempt to take control of the situation, the government gave de facto recognition to Solidarity, and Interior Minister Kiszczak began talks with Lech Walesa on August 31. These talks broke off in October, but a new series, the "roundtable" talks, began in February 1989. These talks produced an agreement in April for partly open National Assembly elections. The June election produced a Sejm (lower house), in which one-third of the seats went to communists and one-third went to the two parties which had hitherto been their coalition partners. The remaining one-third of the seats in the Sejm and all those in the Senate were freely contested; virtually all of these were won by candidates supported by Solidarity.
The failure of the communists at the polls produced a political crisis. The roundtable agreement called for a communist president, and on July 19, the National Assembly, with the support of some Solidarity deputies, elected General Jaruzelski to that office. Two attempts by the communists to form governments failed, however.
On August 19, President Jaruzelski asked journalist/Solidarity activist Tadeusz Mazowiecki to form a government; on September 12, the Sejm voted approval of Prime Minister Mazowiecki and his cabinet. For the first time in more than 40 years, Poland had a government led by noncommunists.
In December 1989, the Sejm approved the government's reform program to transform the Polish economy rapidly from centrally planned to free-market, amended the constitution to eliminate references to the "leading role" of the Communist Party, and renamed the country the "Republic of Poland." The Polish United Workers' (Communist) Party dissolved itself in January 1990, creating in its place a new party, Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland. Most of the property of the former Communist Party was turned over to the state.
The May 1990 local elections were entirely free. Candidates supported by Solidarity's Citizens' Committees won most of the races they contested, although voter turnout was only a little over 40%. The cabinet was reshuffled in July 1990; the national defense and interior affairs ministers—hold-overs from the previous communist government—were among those replaced.
In October 1990, the constitution was amended to curtail the term of President Jaruzelski. In December, Lech Walesa became the first popularly elected President of Poland.
The Republic of Poland: Into NATO and the European Union
The Republic of Poland in the early 1990s made great progress toward achieving a fully democratic government and a market economy. In November 1990, Lech Walesa was elected President for a 5-year term. Jan Krzysztof Bielecki, at Walesa's request, formed a government and served as its Prime Minister until October 1991, introducing world prices and greatly expanding the scope of private enterprise.
Poland's first free parliamentary elections were held in 1991. More than 100 parties participated, representing a full spectrum of political views. No single party received more than 13% of the total vote. After a rough start, 1993 saw the second group of elections, and the first parliament to actually serve a full term. The Democratic Left Alliance (SLD—successor to the Communist Party twice removed) received the largest percentage of votes.
After the election, the SLD and PSL formed a governing coalition. Waldemar Pawlak, leader of the junior partner PSL, became Prime Minister. Relations between President Walesa and the Prime Minister remained poor throughout the Pawlak government, with President Walesa charging Pawlak with furthering personal and party interests while neglecting matters of state importance. Following a number of scandals implicating Pawlak and increasing political tension over control of the armed forces, President Walesa demanded Pawlak's resignation in January 1995. In the ensuing political crisis, the coalition removed Pawlak from office and replaced him with the SLD's Jozef Oleksy as the new Prime Minister.
In November 1995, Poland held its second post-war free presidential elections. SLD leader Aleksander Kwasniewski defeated Walesa by a narrow margin—51.7% to 48.3%. Soon after Walesa's defeat, Interior Minister Andrzej Milczanowski accused then-Prime Minister Oleksy of longtime collaboration with Soviet and later Russian intelligence. In the ensuing political crisis, Oleksy resigned. For his successor, the SLDPSL coalition turned to then-Deputy Sejm speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz—who was linked to, but not a member of, the SLD. Polish prosecutors subsequently decided that there was insufficient evidence to charge Oleksy, and a parliamentary commission decided in November 1996 that the Polish intelligence services may have violated rules of procedure in gathering evidence in the Oleksy case.
In the 1997 parliamentary elections, two parties with roots in the Solidarity movement—Solidarity Electoral Action (AWS) and the Freedom Union (UW)—won 261 of the 460 seats in the Sejm and formed a coalition government. Jerzy Buzek of the AWS was the Prime Minister. The AWS and SLD held the majority of the seats in the Sejm. Marian Krzaklewski was the leader of the AWS, and Leszek Miller led the SLD. In June 2000, UW withdrew from the governing coalition, leaving AWS at the helm of a minority government.
Poland's September 2001 parliamentary elections saw the center-left SLD triumph and form a coalition with the Polish Peasant Party (PSL) and leftist Union of Labor (UP), with Leszek Miller (SLD) as Prime Minister, Cimoszewicz as Foreign Minister, and Oleksy as Sejm Marshall (Speaker of Parliament). On March 1, 2003, the PSL left the ruling coalition, and on March 26 a group of 22 MPs split from the SLD to form the Polish Social Democratic Party (SDPL). Unable to sustain his government, Prime Minister Miller resigned on May 2, 2004. President Kwasiniewski named Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority Senior Advisor Marek Belka as Prime Minister at the head of an SLD-led minority government. Belka was confirmed by the Sejm on June 24 and survived a no-confidence motion October 15. In December 2004, a Warsaw court convicted Oleksy of lying about his involvement with Communist-era intelligence services, ultimately forcing Oleksy to resign his speakership. Cimoszewicz replaced Oleksy as Sejm Marshall and was in turn replaced as Foreign Minister by the non-partisan Deputy Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld.
Parliamentary elections are expected in June 2005, to be followed in October by Presidential elections and a referendum on the adoption of the European Constitution.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
The current government structure consists of a council of ministers led by a Prime Minister, typically chosen from a majority coalition in the bicameral legislature's lower house. The president elected every 5 years is head of state. The judicial branch plays a minor role in decisionmaking.
Former SLD leader Aleksander Kwasniewski was re-elected President in October 2000. Kwasniewski received in the first round 53.9% of the popular vote. In second place was Andrzej Olechowski—17.3%. President Kwasniewski has supported Polish membership in NATO and the EU and backed the SLD's legislative agenda on issues such as redrafting the constitution and abortion liberalization.
The parliament, consisting of 460 members of the Sejm and 100 members of the Senate, was elected in September 2001 in free and fair elections in which 15 political parties participated. The new Constitution and the reformed administrative division (as of 1999) required a revision of the election ordinance (passed in April 2001). The most important changes were liquidation of a national list (all deputies were elected by voters in constituencies) and introduction of a new method of calculating seats (the modified St. Lague method replaced the d'Hondt method, thus eliminating the premium for the top parties). The law stipulated that with the exception of guaranteed seats for small ethnic parties, only parties receiving at least 5% of the total vote could enter parliament.
The current Belka government maintains generally pro-market economic policies, has made fighting corruption and bringing Poland's financial house into order its priorities, and is committed to a democratic political system.
Along with SLD, other parties represented in Parliament are Citizens Platform (PO), Self-defense (SO), Law and Justice (PiS), Polish Peasant Party (PSL), Polish Social Democratic Party (SdPl), League of Polish Families (LPR), Union of Labor (UP). Poland's next parliamentary elections and presidential election will be held in 2005.
Principal Government Officials
Last Updated: 2/17/05
President: Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI
Prime Minister: Marek BELKA
Dep. Prime Min.: Jerzy HAUSNER
Dep. Prime Min. for Social Communications: Izabela JARUGANOWACKA
Min. of Agriculture: Wojciech OLEJNICZAK
Min. of Culture: Waldemar DABROWSKI
Min. of Economy & Labor: Jerzy HAUSNER
Min. of Education & Sport: Miroslaw STAWICKI
Min. of Environmental Protection: Jerzy SWATON
Min. of Finance: Miroslaw GRONICKI
Min. of Foreign Affairs: Adam Daniel ROTFELD
Min. of Health: Marek BALICKI
Min. of Infrastructure: Krzysztof OPAWSKI
Min. of Internal Affairs & Administration: Ryszard KALISZ
Min. of Justice: Marek SADOWSKI
Min. of National Defense: Jerzy SZMAJDZINSKI
Min. of Science & Computerization: Michal KLEIBER
Min. of Social Policy: Krzysztof PATER
Min. of Treasury: Jacek SOCHA
Min. Without Portfolio (Coordinator of Special Services): Arkadiusz MROZ
Chief, Office of the Prime Minister: Slawomir CYTRYCKI
Pres., Polish National Bank: Leszek BALCEROWICZ
Ambassador to the US: Przemyslaw GRUDZINSKI
Permanent Representative to the UN, New York: Janusz STANCZYK
Poland maintains an embassy in the United States at 2640 16th St. NW, Washington, DC 20009 (tel. 202-234-3800/3801/3802); the consular annex is at 2224 Wyoming Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202-234-3800). Poland has consulates in Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles.
ECONOMY
The Polish economy grew rapidly in the mid-1990s, but growth has slowed considerably in recent years. Growth in the gross domestic product (GDP) accelerated to 3.8% in 2003 and is expected to increase another 5.5% in 2004. Faster growth has failed to significantly reduce unemployment, which stood at 19.7% in the middle of 2004. Tight monetary policy and dramatic productivity growth have helped temper inflation, which was steady at 0.7% in 2003. Likewise, Poland's current account deficit, which grew rapidly in the late 1990s, fell to 2.0% of GDP in 2003. The budget deficit remains a source of concern though the accelerating economy helped to hold the deficit at an estimated 3.9% of GDP in 2003.
Throughout the 1990s, the United States and other Western countries supported the growth of a free enterprise economy by reducing Poland's foreign debt burden, providing economic aid, and lowering trade barriers. Poland graduated from USAID assistance in 2000. Poland officially joined the EU on May 1, 2004.
Agriculture
Agriculture employs 28.7% of the work force but contributes only 3.4% to the gross domestic product (GDP), reflecting relatively low productivity. Unlike the industrial sector, Poland's agricultural sector remained largely in private hands during the decades of communist rule. Most of the former state farms are now leased to farmer tenants. Lack of credit is hampering efforts to sell former state farmland. Currently, Poland's 2 million private farms occupy 90% of all farmland and account for roughly the same percentage of total agricultural production. These farms are small—8 hectares (ha) on average—and often fragmented. Farms with an area exceeding 15 ha accounted for only 9% of the total number of farms but cover 45% of total agricultural area. Over half of all farming households in Poland produce only for their own needs with little, if any, commercial sales.
Poland is a net exporter of confectionery, processed fruit and vegetables, meat, and dairy products. Processors often rely on imports to supplement domestic supplies of wheat, feed grains, vegetable oil, and protein meals, which are generally insufficient to meet domestic demand. However, Poland is the leading producer in Europe of potatoes and rye and is one of the world's largest producers of sugarbeets. Poland also is a significant producer of rapeseed, grains, hogs, and cattle. Attempts to increase domestic feed grain production are hampered by the short growing season, poor soil, and the small size of farms.
Pressure to restructure the agriculture sector intensified as Poland prepared to accede to the European Union, which is unwilling to subsidize the vast number of subsistence farms that do not produce for the market. The changes in agriculture are likely to strain Poland's social fabric, tearing at the heart of the traditional, family-based small farm as the younger generation drifts toward the cities.
Industry
Before World War II, Poland's industrial base was concentrated in the coal, textile, chemical, machinery, iron, and steel sectors. Today it extends to fertilizers, petrochemicals, machine tools, electrical machinery, electronics, and shipbuilding.
Poland's industrial base suffered greatly during World War II, and many resources were directed toward reconstruction. The communist economic system imposed in the late 1940s created large and unwieldy economic structures operated under a tight central command. In part because of this systemic rigidity, the economy performed poorly even in comparison with other economies in central Europe.
In 1990, the Mazowiecki government began a comprehensive reform program to replace the centralized command economy with a market-oriented system. While the results overall have been impressive, many large state-owned industrial enterprises, particularly the railroad and the mining, steel, and defense sectors, have remained resistant to the change and downsizing required to survive in an open market economy.
Economic Reform Program
The economic reforms introduced in 1990 removed price controls, eliminated most subsidies to industry, opened markets to international competition, and imposed strict budgetary and monetary discipline. Poland was the first former centrally planned economy in central Europe to end its recession and return to growth in the early 1990s. Since 1992, the Polish economy has enjoyed an accelerated recovery, although growth has recently slowed. The private sector now accounts for over twothirds of GDP.
As a result of Poland's growth and investment-friendly climate, the country has received over $65 billion in direct foreign investment since 1990. However, the government continues to play a strong role in the economy, as seen in excessive red tape and the high level of politicization in many business decisions. Investors complain that state regulation is not transparent or predictable; the economy suffers from a lack of competition in many sectors, notably telecommunications. In early 2002, the government announced a new set of economic reforms, designed in many ways to complete the process launched in 1990. The package acknowledges the need to improve Poland's investment climate, particularly the conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises, and better prepare the economy to compete as a European Union (EU) member. The government also aims to improve Poland's public finances to prepare for eventual adoption of the euro.
Foreign Trade
With the collapse of the ruble-based COMECON trading bloc in 1990, Poland scrambled to reorient its trade. As early as 1996, 70% of its trade was with EU-15 members, and neighboring Germany today is Poland's dominant trading partner. Most of Poland's imports are capital goods needed for industrial retooling and for manufacturing inputs, rather than imports for consumption. Therefore, a deficit is expected and should even be regarded as positive at this point. Poland, a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), has been steadily lowering tariffs in line with its WTO and EU commitments. Now that it is a member of the EU, Poland, applies the EU's common external tariff to goods from other countries—including the U.S. Opportunities for trade and investment continue to exist across virtually all sectors. The American Chamber of Commerce in Poland, founded in 1991 with seven members, now has more than 300 members. Strong economic growth potential, a large domestic market, EU membership, and political stability are the top reasons U.S. and other foreign companies do business in Poland.
NATIONAL SECURITY
Poland's top national security goal is to further integrate with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and other west European defense, economic, and political institutions via a modernization and reorganization of its military. Polish military doctrine reflects the same defense nature as its NATO partners.
Poland maintains a sizable armed force currently numbering about 175,343 troops divided among an army of 96,733, an air and defense force of 39,649, and a navy of 15,980. The Ministry of Defense has announced that the armed forces of Poland will number 150,000 by 2006. Poland relies on military conscription for the majority of its personnel strength. All males (with some exceptions) are subject to a 12-month term of military service. The Polish military continues to restructure and to modernize its equipment. The Polish Defense Ministry General Staff and the Land Forces staff have recently reorganized the latter into a NATO-compatible J/G-1 through J/G-6 structure. Budget constraints hamper such priority defense acquisitions as a multi-role fighter, improved communications systems, and an attack helicopter.
Poland continues to be a regional leader in support and participation in the NATO Partnership for Peace Program and has actively engaged most of its neighbors and other regional actors to build stable foundations for future European security arrangements. Poland continues its long record of strong support for UN Peacekeeping Operations by maintaining a unit in Southern Lebanon, a battalion in NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR), and by providing and actually deploying the KFOR strategic reserve to Kosovo. Polish military forces have served in both Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Poland assumed command of a multinational division of stabilization forces in Iraq (MDN-CS) on September 3, 2003, contributing 2,400 troops.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Poland became a full member of NATO in March 1999. Poland promoted its NATO candidacy through energetic participation in the Partnership for Peace (PfP) program and through intensified individual dialogue between Poland and NATO. Poland was invited in the first wave of NATO enlargement at the July 1997 NATO Summit in Madrid.
Poland also has forged ahead on its economic integration with the West, joining the EU in May 2004. Previously, it became an associate member of the EU and its defensive arm, the Western European Union, in 1994. In the June 2003 national referendum, the Polish people approved EU accession by an overwhelming margin. Poland achieved full OECD membership in 1996.
Changes since 1989 have redrawn the map of central Europe, and Poland has had to forge relationships with seven new neighbors. Poland has actively pursued good relations with all its neighbors, signing friendship treaties replacing links severed by the collapse of the Warsaw Pact. The Poles have forged special relationships with Lithuania and particularly Ukraine in an effort to firmly anchor these states to the West.
U.S.-POLISH RELATIONS
The United States established diplomatic relations with the newly formed Polish Republic in April 1919. After Gomulka came to power in 1956, relations with the United States began to improve. However, during the 1960s, reversion to a policy of full and unquestioning support for Soviet foreign policy objectives and anti-Semitic feelings in Poland caused those relations to stagnate. U.S.-Polish relations improved significantly after Gierek succeeded Gomulka and expressed his interest in improving relations with the United States. A consular agreement was signed in 1972.
In 1974 Gierek was the first Polish leader to visit the United States. This action, among others, demonstrated that both sides wish to facilitate better relations.
The birth of Solidarity in 1980 raised the hope that progress would be made in Poland's external relations as well as in its domestic development. During this time, the United States provided $765 million in agricultural assistance. Human rights and individual freedom issues, however, were not improved upon, and the U.S. revoked Poland's most-favored-nation (MFN) status in response to the Polish Government's decision to ban Solidarity. MFN status was reinstated in 1987, and diplomatic relations were upgraded.
The United States and Poland have enjoyed warm bilateral relations since 1989. Every post-1989 Polish Government has been a strong supporter of continued American military and economic presence in Europe and has identified membership in NATO, the European Union, and other Western security and economic structures as Poland's principal foreign policy priority. Poland served successfully as the Chairman in Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 1998. It has supported the Global War on Terror, contributed to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and been a leader in the coalition in Iraq, where it has deployed some 2,400 troops. Poland cooperates closely with American diplomacy on such issues as nuclear proliferation, human rights, regional cooperation in central and eastern Europe, and UN reform.
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
WARSAW (E) Address: Al. Ujazdowskie 29/31; Phone: 48-22-504-2000; Fax: (48)(22)504-2231; INMARSAT Tel: Planet1 voice 761-245-812, fax 761-245-813, data 761-245-814; Workweek: M–F, 8:30-5:00; Website: www.usinfo.pl
| AMB: |
Victor Ashe |
| DCM: |
Cameron Munter |
| CG: |
Lisa Piascik |
| POL: |
Mary Curtin |
| COM: |
Edgar Fulton |
| MGT: |
Richard Jaworski |
| AFSA: |
George Ward |
| AGR: |
Wayne Molstad |
| CLO: |
Adrianne Treiber |
| DAO: |
Col. Henry Nowak |
| ECO: |
Richard Rorvig |
| EEO: |
Sally Ironfield |
| FMO: |
Sarah Drew |
| GSO: |
Marcia Cole |
| ICASS Chair: |
Edward Kulakowski |
| IMO: |
Clifford Brzozowski |
| IPO: |
Kathleen Lively |
| ISO: |
RuthAnn Kleinfelt |
| ISSO: |
Chuck Eckert |
| LAB: |
John Armstrong |
| LEGATT: |
Joel Irvin |
| PAO: |
Edward Kulakowski |
| RAMC: |
Charleston |
| RSO: |
Dean Devilla |
| State ICASS: |
Lisa Piascik |
| Last Updated: 11/16/2004 |
KRAKOW (CG) Address: ul. Stolarska 9; Phone: +48-12-424-5100; Fax: +48-12-424-5103; Workweek: M–F, 8:00-17:00
| CG: |
Ken Fairfax |
| POL: |
Alex Traatensek |
| CON: |
Patrick Walsh |
| MGT: |
Jack Anderson |
| ECO: |
Alex Tratensek |
| GSO: |
ADM: Jack Anderson |
| IPO: |
ADM: Jack Anderson |
| ISO: |
ADM: Jack Anderson |
| ISSO: |
ADM: Jack Anderson |
| PAO: |
Bill Bellis |
| RSO: |
Irena Kondrak |
| Last Updated: 10/13/2004 |
TRAVEL
Consular Information Sheet
December 7, 2004
Country Description: Poland is a stable, free-market democracy. Tourist facilities are not highly developed in all areas, and some services taken for granted in other European countries may not be available in some parts of Poland, especially in rural areas. On May 1, 2004, Poland became a member of the European Union (EU).
Entry/Exit Requirements: A valid passport is required. Be sure to check your passport's validity—Poland will not admit you if your passport is expired. U.S. citizens do not need visas for stays of up to 90 days for tourist, business or transit purposes. Americans should ensure that their passports are date-stamped upon entry.
Polish immigration officials may ask travelers for proof of sufficient financial resources to cover their proposed stay in Poland. The general rule-of-thumb is 100 zlotys per day. Citizens of non-EU countries, including the United States, should carry proof of adequate medical insurance in case of an accident or hospitalization while in Poland. Polish immigration officials may ask for documentation of such insurance or proof of sufficient financial resources (at least 400 zlotys per day) to cover such costs. Those who lack insurance or access to adequate financial resources may be denied admission to Poland. Medicare does not cover health costs incurred while abroad.
Poland requires Polish citizens (including American citizens who are or can be claimed as Polish citizens) to enter and depart Poland using a Polish passport. Americans who are also Polish citizens or who are unsure if they hold Polish citizenship should contact the nearest Polish consular office for further information.
For further information on entry requirements, please contact the consular section of Embassy of the Republic of Poland at 2224 Wyoming Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, tel. (202) 234-3800, or the Polish consulates in Chicago, Los Angeles or New York. See our Foreign Entry Requirements brochure for more information on Poland and other countries. Visit the Embassy of Poland web site at http://www.polandembassy.org for the most current visa information.
Safety and Security: For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet website at http://travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, Travel Warnings and Public Announcements can be found.
Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, on a regular toll-line at 1-317-472-2328. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). The Department of State urges American citizens to take responsibility for their own personal security while traveling overseas. For general information about appropriate measures travelers can take to protect themselves in an overseas environment, see the Department of State's pamphlet A Safe Trip Abroad.
Crime: While Poland generally has a low rate of violent crime, the incidence of street crime, which sometimes involves violence, is high. Warsaw, Krakow, and other major cities have higher rates of crime against residents and foreign visitors than other areas. The tri-cities area of Gdynia, Sopot, and Gdansk has a high incidence of muggings—sometimes in broad daylight—some of which have involved aggravated assault.
Organized groups of thieves and pick-pockets operate at major tourist destinations, in train stations, and on trains, trams, and buses in major cities. Thefts have occurred on over-night trains. Most pickpocketing on trains occurs during boarding; in the most common scenario, a group of well-dressed young men will surround a passenger in the narrow aisle of the train, jostling/pickpocketing him or her as they supposedly attempt to get around the passenger. Beware of taxi drivers who approach you at the airport or who do not display telephone numbers and a company name: these drivers usually charge exorbitant rates. Order your taxi by telephone and, at the airport, use only taxis in the designated taxi ranks.
Car thefts, theft from cars, and carjackings are commonplace. Drivers should be wary of people indicating they should pull over or that something is wrong with their cars. Often, a second car or person is following, and when the driver of the targeted car gets out to see if there is a problem, the person who has been following will get in and drive off with the vehicle. Drivers should never get out of the car to check for damage without first turning off the car and removing the keys from the ignition. There also has been an increasing incidence of thieves opening or breaking passenger-side doors and windows in slow or stopped traffic to take purses or briefcases left on the seat beside the driver. Those traveling by car should remember to keep windows closed and doors locked.
Racially motivated verbal and occasionally physical harassment of Americans and others of non-Caucasian ethnicity does sometimes occur. Most of the incidents that have occurred were perpetrated by groups of young males generally identified as skinheads.
Information for Victims of Crime: The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for assistance. The Embassy/Consulate staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care, to contact family members or friends, and explain how funds could be transferred. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed. See our information on Victims of Crime at http://travel.state.gov/travel/brochure_victim_assistance.html. U.S. Embassy Warsaw's information for victims of crime can be found at http://www.usinfo.pl/consular/acs/information.pdf.
Medical Facilities and Health Information: Adequate medical care is available in Poland, but hospital facilities and nursing support are not comparable to American standards. Physicians are generally well trained but specific emergency services may be lacking in certain regions, especially in Poland's small towns and rural areas. Younger doctors generally speak English, though nursing staff often does not. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services. Medications are generally available, although they may not be specific U.S. brand-name drugs.
Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747), fax 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299), or via the CDC's Internet site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization's (WHO) website at http://www.who.int/en. Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith.
Medical Insurance: Polish immigration law requires travelers either to carry adequate medical insurance in case of accident or hospitalization while in Poland or to be able to document access to sufficient financial resources (at least 400 zlotys per day) to cover such medical emergencies. Failure to carry insurance or the inability to provide documentation of sufficient financial resources if requested may result in a traveler being denied admission to Poland.
The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation.
Traffic Safety and Road Conditions: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Poland is provided for general reference only, and it may not be totally accurate in every particular location or circumstance.
An International Driving Permit (IDP), available from AAA prior to departure from the U.S., must accompany a U.S. driver's license. A U.S. driver's license without an IDP is insufficient for use in Poland, and Americans cannot obtain IDPs in Poland. Roadside services, while not at Western levels, are rapidly improving. Polski Zwiazek Motorowy Auto-Tour has multilingual operators and provides assistance countrywide; they can be reached by calling 981 or 9637. The police emergency number is 997, fire service is 998, and ambulance service is 999. Mobile phone users can dial 112 for roadside assistance. Seat belts are compulsory in both the front and back seats, and children under the age of 10 are prohibited from riding in the front seat. Headlights must be used at all times from October through March and are recommended year-round. The use of cellular phones while driving is prohibited, except for "hands-free" models.
The number of cars on the road in Poland has increased substantially. Driving, especially after dark, is hazardous. Roads are generally narrow, badly lit, frequently under repair (especially in the summer months), and are often also used by pedestrians and animals. The Ministry of Transportation has a program called "Black Spot' (Czarny Punkt), which puts signs in places where the number of accidents and casualties are particularly high. These signs have a black spot on a yellow background, and the road area around the "black spot' is marked with red diagonal lines. Alcohol consumption is frequently a contributing factor in accidents. Polish laws provide virtually zero tolerance for driving under the influence of alcohol, and penalties for drunk driving (defined as a blood alcohol level of 0.05 or higher) include a fine and probation or imprisonment for up to two years. Penalties for drivers involved in accidents can be severe. If an accident results in injury or death, the penalty can be imprisonment from six months up to eight years.
Within cities, taxis are available at major hotels and designated stands or may be ordered in advance. Some drivers accept credit cards and/or speak English. Travelers should be wary of hailing taxis on the street, especially those that do not have a telephone number displayed, because these may not have meters, and many of them charge more. Do not accept assistance from "taxi drivers" who approach you in the arrivals terminal or outside the doors at Warsaw Airport. Travelers availing themselves of these "services" often find themselves charged significantly more than the usual fare. Use only taxis at designated airport taxi ranks.
Visit the website of Poland's National Tourist Office at http://www.polandtour.org and Poland's Ministry of Infrastructure, responsible for road safety, at http://www.mi.gov.pl.
Aviation Safety Oversight: The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the Government of Poland as being in compliance with ICAO international aviation safety standards for oversight of Poland's air carrier operations. For further information, travelers may visit the FAA's internet web site at www.faa.gov/avr/iasa/index.cfm.
Special Circumstances: Visitors importing more than 10,000 Euros should, as part of the arrivals process, complete a form to declare currency, traveler's checks and other cash instruments. This form should be stamped by Polish Customs and retained by the traveler for presentation on departure. Undeclared cash may be confiscated upon departure, and visitors carrying undeclared cash may be prosecuted. Most banks now cash traveler's checks, ATMs are readily available, and credit cards increasingly accepted. Polish customs authorities may enforce strict regulations concerning temporary import and export of items such as works of art, particularly those created before 1945. Works produced by living artists after 1945 may be exported with permission from the Provincial Conservator of Relics. Some works of art produced after 1945 may still be subject to a ban on exportation if the artist is no longer living and the work is considered of high cultural value. Contact the Polish Embassy in Washington, D.C., or one of the Polish consulates in the United States for specific information regarding customs requirements.
Poland does not recognize (although it does not prohibit) dual nationality: a person holding Polish and U.S. citizenship is deemed by Poland to be a Pole and subject to Polish law.
Criminal Penalties: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating Polish laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use or trafficking in illegal drugs in Poland are strict and convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and heavy fines. Engaging in illicit sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime that is prosecutable in the United States.
Children's Issues: For information on international adoption of children and international parental child abductiona see the Office of Children's Issues website at http://travel.state.gov/family/index.html.
Registration/Embassy and Consulate Locations: Americans living or traveling in Poland are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department's travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov, and obtain updated information on travel and security within Poland. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. The U.S. Embassy is located at Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31. The Consular Section entrance is located around the corner at Ulica Piekna 12. The Embassy's telephone number is (48)(22) 504-2000. This number can be called 24 hours/day: for emergencies after business hours, press "0." The Embassy's fax number is (48)(22) 504-2688 and the fax number for the Consular Section is (48)(22) 627-4734 (consular fax only checked during normal business hours). The U.S. Consulate General in Krakow is located at Ulica Stolarska 9. The Consulate General's telephone number is (48)(12) 424-5100; fax (48)(12) 424-5103; after-hours cellular phone (for emergencies only) 601-483-348. A Consular Agency providing limited consular services in Poznan is located at Ulica Paderewskiego 7. The Consular Agency's telephone number is (48)(61) 851-8516; fax (48)(61) 851-8966. The Embassy's website is at http://www.usinfo.pl.
