Leszek Balcerowicz, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, referring to the forecasts of GDP growth in 2023 in “Fakty po Faktach” on TVN24, said that “we are facing a deep decline this year”. He stated that “this cannot be reversed this year, because the reasons have already occurred.” – However, it is extremely important that there is a fundamental change in economic policy, i.e. reducing the influence of politicians on the economy – he stressed. He also stated that “the full costs of PiS’s economic policy” will appear this year.
Leszek Balcerowicz, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, former President of the National Bank of Poland, founder of the Civic Development Forum, spoke in “Fakty po Faktach” on TVN24 about the economic situation in Poland at the beginning of 2023 and the challenges ahead. He paid attention, among other things, to the level forecasts inflation in Poland.
– The latest forecasts of the European Commission say that the average annual inflation in Poland next year will be slightly higher than this year. They are the only country that will have a similar situation Hungary. However, if we look at Spain, then, according to the same sources, last year it was 8.5 percent, and this year – 4.8 percent. So much less – said Balcerowicz.
Balcerowicz: analyzes show that the truth is completely opposite to what President Glapiński says
– If we base our assessments on the basis of analyzes and not on what President Glapiński says, then the truth is completely opposite to what he says – he continued.
Balcerowicz said that “unfortunately, with the current policy of not only the central bank, but also government policy, because government policy leads to the weakening of the zloty, it is unlikely that inflation in Poland will be significantly lower next year.”
The former deputy prime minister and minister of finance took up the position of the head of the National Bank of Poland, Adam Glapiński. – I looked around the world a bit, I was dealing with different people in different positions, but I honestly have not met a person who would compromise with his behavior, not only with his decisions, like Mr. Glapiński. At least in the civilized world, he said.
Balcerowicz: analyzes show that the truth is completely opposite to what President Glapiński saysTVN24
Balcerowicz: the full costs of PiS’s economic policy will appear this year
Balcerowicz also spoke about how the actions of the current government in the economic sphere can translate into political support.
– Before the full costs of economic policy appeared PiS, and they will unfortunately appear this year, (…), support for PiS has fallen by about a quarter – from about 42 (percent) to 32 (percent). And it reminds me to some extent of Gierek’s times. The first half of the 1970s was a bonanza, it was getting better at the expense of the future. Then came the crash and Gierek disappeared – he said.
He added that there is no full analogy between these situations, because – as he pointed out – “in addition to the consequences of a very bad, statist, politicized economic policy, we also have a slowdown in the world.” – But it does not explain in one hundred percent the depth of the slowdown that will occur in Poland. It is clearly deeper than in Spain or, for example, in the Czech Republic – added.
Balcerowicz: the influence of politicians on the economy must be reduced
Balcerowicz also spoke about the expected GDP growth this year. – We are facing a deep decline this year, it will probably be in the range of zero, and last year it was about four percent. This is one of the deepest declines in the European Union – he noted.
He added that “this cannot be reversed this year, because the reasons have already occurred.” – However, it is extremely important that there is a fundamental change in economic policy, i.e. reducing the influence of politicians on the economy – emphasized the former head of the NBP.
Main photo source: TVN24