Poles hoping for economic gains
By Robin Oakley
CNN European Political Editor
KASIMIERZ, Poland (CNN) -- Warsaw is already beginning to look like other cities to the West. The same multi-national names are on display. In glitzy malls, shoppers can take their pick of international merchandise.
After more than a decade of painful preparation -- curbing deficits and trimming bureaucracy -- Poland reckons it is ready for the EU.
"If we had acceded to the European Community 10 years ago, it would have been a major economic disaster for Poland," says Jan Truszynski, Poland's EU negotiator.
"We are probably ripe enough, good enough after these very, very long preparations, and I do not expect any major overhaul of the Polish economy."
Investment experts are hopeful but acknowledge time is needed.
"The most accurate example of what will happen in Poland for us is Spain, because we have very similar and comparable situation when entering, and Spain 20 years later became one of the European leaders," says economic analyst Sebastian Mikosz.
In historic beauty spots like Kasimierz, southeast of Warsaw, there are hopes of a real boost to tourism. But life outside the more prosperous centers can be hard.
Though market life goes on, nearly one in five people in eastern Poland are without a job. These are the people who'll be hoping for real economic benefits from the EU -- and who won't be quick to forgive their government if the benefits don't materialize.
Promised economic reforms would bring more jobs -- but Poland's infrastructure remains a problem. And that is where they hope for a boost from the EU.
"I hope the fact of having access to European funds in a very important amount will allow us to fill in this weakness and to build roads and other kinds of infrastructures," says Mikosz.
But that may not come in time for all of Poland's traditional industries.
"I cannot rule out a situation whereby in two or three years from now, one of the older smokestack industries which has not been sufficiently privatized and which has not been exposed sufficiently to external competition will have to close shop. That would be a problem," says Truszynski.
Poland has had to struggle to get its economy in shape to join the union. It will be years before it can take on membership of the eurozone too.
But the Poles who voted for EU membership are hoping for tangible economic benefits. And beautiful tourist towns like Kasimierz should be among the first to see them.
