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In February, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted a social media video celebrating new International Monetary Fund data showing that the average person in Poland now has slightly more spending power than the average person in Spain, the EU’s fourth-largest economy. It is a symbolic milestone for a country that emerged from communism just three decades ago and was once struggling with hyperinflation and economic turmoil. In 2025, Poland’s economy is also set to surpass the trillion-dollar mark, putting it in an elite group of just 20 countries globally. Investment from across the EU has helped drive growth. But can Poland maintain its lead as labor shortages grow and shape the war zone in neighboring Ukraine? This week in The Inquiry, Tanya Beckett asks: Why is Poland’s economy booming? Contributors: Dr. Paweł Bukowski, Lecturer in Economics at University College London and the Polish Academy of Sciences, UK Inga Magda, Associate Professor at the Warsaw School of Economics, Poland Katarzyna Rzentarzewska, Chief CEE Macro Economist at Erste Group Bank AG, Austria Rafal Benecki, Chief Economist at ING, Poland Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Matt Tolson Researcher: A.V. Yabsley Editor: Tom Bigwood Technical producer: Cameron Ward Production management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Moray (Photo: A high street in Warsaw. Credit: Noorfoto/Getty Images)
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