Nowa inicjatywa w UE bez Polski. Domański: Nie ma co się obrażać - Do Rzeczy
Summary
Poland was not invited to join the new European competitiveness group, which will be led by former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and include over 50 experts. The initiative aims to develop recommendations for Europe's economic competitiveness, but it will be dominated by experts from Western Europe, with only one representative from Central and Eastern Europe: former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. Finance Minister Andrzej Domański discussed the exclusion with Professor Piatkowski, noting that relying solely on Western European experiences would make discussions and conclusions poorer. Domański emphasized that the group is informal and not an official EU initiative, suggesting Poland should encourage its members to utilize the experience of Polish entrepreneurs without forcing them to do so. The initiative follows the publication of Draghi's report, which warned that the EU risks falling behind the United States and China without annual investments of approximately 800 billion euros.
Key points
- The new group will include over 50 experts, mostly from Western Europe, with Toomas Hendrik Ilves as the sole representative from Central and Eastern Europe.
- Finance Minister Andrzej Domański stated that excluding Eastern Europe from discussions on economic growth is like discussing growth in Asia without South Korea.
- The initiative is informal and not an official European Commission project, allowing Poland to encourage its members to use Polish business experience.
- Mario Draghi's report, published in autumn 2024, warned that the EU risks falling behind the US and China without annual investments of 800 billion euros.
- Draghi described the lack of investment as an "existential challenge" that would force EU decision-makers to compromise on welfare, the environment, or freedom.
Timeline
Mario Draghi's report on EU competitiveness is published.
The new EU competitiveness group, led by Draghi, is announced.
“If Western Europe wants to base itself on its own experiences, discussions and potential conclusions will be poorer. It is like wanting to discuss economic growth in Asia without the participation of South Korea. But there is no need to be offended.”
Background
The initiative is led by Mario Draghi, the former President of the European Central Bank and former Prime Minister of Italy.
Why it matters
The exclusion of Poland from the group highlights a lack of representation for Central and Eastern Europe in key economic discussions.
What's next
Poland will likely seek to influence the group's informal nature by encouraging the use of its business experience.