Poland has signed a $2.5-billion (10 billion zloty) deal with the United States for an advanced air defence system. Once implemented, Poland will be the first country other than the US itself to use the system. The Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) – which will be delivered between 2024 and 2031 – will be part…
Russia is the largest supplier of onions to the Polish market from non-EU countries, and the third after Germany and the Netherlands. This is reported by EastFruit analysts with reference to the official trade statistics of Poland. “From the beginning of the season (August 2023) to the end of December 2023, Poland purchased 24.3 thousand…
A price war between Poland’s two largest supermarket chains has intensified after a court asked bailiffs to seize adverts by Biedronka claiming that it has been “cheaper than Lidl since 2002”. The battle between the two giants over the last month has aroused great public interest, including spawning a series of memes. But it has…
In January, the value of mortgages issued in Poland exceeded 10 billion zloty (EUR 2.3 billion) for the first time in history, as the last of contracts eligible for a popular government subsidy scheme for first-time buyers were finalised. The figure was five times larger than in the same month a year earlier, while the…
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called for the West to use $300 billion of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. During a meeting with his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, he also discussed facilitating the export of Ukrainian grain from Europe in response to protests by farmers. Meanwhile, Tusk pledged to tell Viktor Orban “to…
A bill restoring prescription-free access to the so-called morning-after pill, a form of emergency contraception, has been passed by the Sejm, the lower house of Poland’s parliament. Under the proposed regulations, the contraceptive will be available over the counter to those aged at least 15 (Poland’s age of sexual consent) for the first time since…
Poland’s Foreign Ministry has said that some elements in the ongoing protests by Polish farmers could “possibly be influenced by Russian agents” after banners appeared expressing anti-Ukrainian and pro-Putin sentiment. One of the protest leaders expressed regret over the incidents, which he suggested could be a deliberate “provocation”. This week, one farmer was photographed with…