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Austria and Poland - Read the latest headlines about bilateral relations in the areas of economy, business, investment, diplomacy, culture and tourism

Referendum in Poland about Joining Eurozone

Last week, Prime Minister Donald Tusk offered a vote on a referendum about the adoption of the Euro in Poland. A simple majority needed for a decision could settle the issue.

April 2, 2013

Poland: Inflation Rate for Private Individuals At 1.6 %

March was the seventh consecutive month of decline in private individuals' inflation expectations. Respondents place average inflation rate as expected over the next 12 months at 1.6%.

March 30, 2013

Poland: VAT Expected to Remain At 23 %

Prime Minister Tusk announced that there will be no return to the 22 % VAT which was planned for 2014.

March 27, 2013

Strikes Paralyze Poland

Protests against government’s changes in education, social and labor policy.

March 27, 2013

Poles Reject The Euro

According to polls, two thirds of polish citizens do not want to change the zloty for the Euro.

March 26, 2013

“Polish Economy Continues to Enjoy Full Trust of Foreign Markets”

Polands Finance Minister is satisfied with the result of the auction of Polish bonds issued earlier this week.

March 23, 2013

Poland’s Finance Minister Shows Optimism

Deputy Finance Minister Majszczyk announced that Poland will not exeed the planned budget deficit and forcasts economic growth for the second half of the year.

March 22, 2013

Medvedev: Harsh Criticism For EU At Conference in Poland

At a two day’s international press convention for EU journalists, Russian Prime Minister Medvedev has highlighted the improved political and economic interaction between Russia and Poland. However, he critized the EU on its Cyprus-politics.

March 21, 2013

Poland: Tusk Appears Optimistic On 2013 Budget

Prime Minister, Donald Tusk remains hopeful on fulfilling the 2013 budget criteria, despite of a disadvantageous macro economical outlook.

March 18, 2013

Poland: Inflation Decreasing

Declining inflation was supported by weaker demand and cost pressures in the economy, decrease in energy price growth as well as zloty exchange rate stronger than a year ago.

March 15, 2013

Poland Sharpens Austerity Measures

In order to fulfill the Maastricht Criteria sustainably, Poland wants to reduce the budget deficit to 1.0% of GDP in 2015.

March 15, 2013

Lithuania: Exports Decreased by 7.6 % in January

Foreign trade in January 2013 decreased. Major losses in Agricultural sector.

March 8, 2013

Recession in Euro-Area Still Affects CESEE Countries

According to the Vienna Institute For International Economic Studies (wiiw), the double-dip recession over, yet there is no economic growht in sight for CESEE countries.

March 7, 2013

Poland: NBP Cuts Interest Rate to Record Low

The council of fiscal policy has cut interests rate down to 3.25 % which is the lowest since Poland’s democratic turnaround in 1989.

March 6, 2013

Poland: Government Retains Economic Forecast

Despite the economic slowdown, Poland´s Minister of Finance Jacek Rostowski demonstrates optimism.

March 5, 2013

Belka and Rostowski “Time to Move Up a Gear”

Governor of NBP (National Bank of Poland) Marek Belka and Poland´s Minister of Finance Jacek Rostowski want to accelerate Poland´s approach to the Eurozone.

March 4, 2013

Poland`s Economy Slows Down Further

According to preliminary estimates, the Gross Domestic Product in the 4th quarter of 2012 only grew by 1.1%.

March 4, 2013

Poland: LOT Airline Downsizing Personnel

Due to the restructuring program, the unprofitable airline company has to lay off 360 workers.

March 2, 2013

Poland: Fiscal Treaty Ratified

Poland´s President Bronislaw Komorowski has signed the EU Fiscal Pact this week.

March 1, 2013

Euro Adoption: Poland Has No Fixed Date Yet

For the time being, Poland wants to meet the Maastricht Criteria. The date for entering the Eurozone will be fixed in 2015.

February 27, 2013

Poland: Economy Seems to Recover Again

Marek Belka, head of NBP, assumes that the worst part for Poland’s economy might be over.

February 26, 2013

Poland: Rostowki’s Fight for the Euro

Even though Poland’s rating outlook has been revised from “A-“ to “A” by Fitch it still has to face political reforms in order to improve its economic competitiveness.

February 24, 2013

Poland: Nuclear Power Plant Project Wobbles

Poland´s Treasury Minister Mikolaj Budzanowski explained that Poland cannot afford the nuclear power plant.

February 23, 2013

Poland: Rostowski Becomes Deputy Prime Minister

Poland´s government has completed a government reshuffle. Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski was promoted to Donald Tusk´s Deputy Prime Minister.

February 21, 2013

Poland: Rostowski Wants to Cut the Interest Rates

According to Poland´s Minister of Finance Jacek Rostowski, the real interest rates are still too high. Rostowski wants to boost economic growth.

February 21, 2013

CESEE Region Still Has Enormous Growth Potential

“CEE growth drivers intact but innovation is needed to start convergence 2.0” Erste Group says.

February 20, 2013

CESEE: Stress of Competition is Growing

CEE significantly more industrialized than euro area (30% vs. 19%) but still needs to catch up in terms of competitiveness.

February 20, 2013

Poland: Economic Slowdown Becomes More Visible

Poland´s economic growth continues to decelerate. Domestic consumption and employment goes down.

February 19, 2013

LOT to be Privatized in 2013

LOT Polish Airlines faces a dramatic phase of restructuring. In order to saleable, the airline company will downsize radically.

February 19, 2013

Construction Industry: Polish Output Fell Sharply

In the EU, the construction output was down by 2.7%. Poland and Bulgaria record a substantial decrease in production.

February 19, 2013

Poland: Rostowski Calls for Structural Reforms

Minister of Finance Jacek Rostowski wants his country to join the Eurozone. However, Poland has to implement fiscal reforms, he claims.

February 18, 2013

Polish LOT Plans Mass Lay-Offs

In order to prevent a bankruptcy, the financially stricken airline has to downsize radically, Prime Minister Tusk says.

February 14, 2013

Poland: Foreign Trade Growth Slows Down

The negative balance on the current account amounted to EUR 1.2bn as compared with EUR 1.9bn in December 2011.

February 14, 2013

Poland: Wages Up by 2.9%

In the fourth quarter of 2012, average wages rose moderately. However, the real income fell for the first time since 1993.

February 12, 2013

Despite Budget Cut: Poland Receives More Money

“This is one of the happiest days of my life.” Poland´s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.

February 11, 2013

CESEE: Banking Industry Slightly Optimistic

Unlike their counterparts in Central and Eastern Europe, Czech bankers are relatively satisfied with the performance of the domestic banking market.

February 11, 2013

CESEE Office Market Shows Solid Fundamentals

CESEE office market is undergoing a stable development; rental levels remain largely solid in most of the region, Erste Group says.

February 11, 2013

EU Budget: Poland Among Main Beneficiaries

Although the EU budget was cut, Poland will receive more EU-funds than in the current period.

February 8, 2013

Poland: Unemployment Quota Above 14%

In January, Poland´s unemployment quota came at 14.2%, the Polish Ministry of Labor says.

February 8, 2013

Poland Underlines Necessity of Cohesion Funds

At the EU summit, Poland wants to secure as much cohesion payments in the next multiannual financial framework from 2014 to 2020.

February 7, 2013

NBP Cut Interest Rate Again

The Council of the National Bank of Poland decided to decrease the interest rates by 0.25 percentage points.

February 7, 2013

CESEE: Economic Outook Brightens Slightly

According to a survey carried out by OeKB (Austrian Clearing Bank), investors in the CESEE region are more optimistic.

February 6, 2013

Slovak Property Market Recovers

For the first time since 2008, property prices were up in the fourth quarter of 2012.

February 6, 2013

Tusk: “First Months Will be Most Difficult”

Poland´s Prime Minister Donald Tusk explained that the Polish economy will recover in the second quarter of 2013.

February 4, 2013

Poland: Banks Continue to Tighten Lending Policy

NBP Report: In the fourth quarter of 2012, the banks continued to reduce the availability of loans to households and small and medium-sized enterprises. The banks expected demand for housing loans to decline sharply in the first quarter of 2013.

February 4, 2013

Tusk: “Poland Becomes a Full Member of the EU”

Poland´s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Poland will join the Fiscal Pact. The conservative opposition rejects this step.

February 2, 2013

Slight Upward Trend for CESEE Countries

The economic crisis in the Eurozone has hit the CESEE countries particularly hard, EBRD reports. 2013 will be a better year.

February 1, 2013

Poland to Fulfill Convergence Criteria Gradually

Governor of NBP (National Bank of Poland) Marek Belka argues that the country will not meet all the Maastricht Criteria simultaneously.

January 31, 2013

Poland: Opposition Criticizes Government´s Economic Policy Sharply

Opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski says that the government does not fight against the economic slowdown.

January 31, 2013

Polish Economy Grew by 2.0% Last Year

Today, the Polish Statistical Office has published the economic data for 2012.

January 30, 2013