The 5th edition of Polish Business Power has started: Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, Tomasz Siemoniak, on threats, investments and the state’s resilience

Grand opening event

The 5th edition of the Polish Business Power was inaugurated by the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration and coordinator of special services, Tomasz Siemoniak. In his speech, he emphasized that “without a safe Poland and safe borders, there will be no business, there will be no various projects, there will be no development, there will be no everything that we have been working hard to achieve for decades.” He pointed out that business “bears a special responsibility” and the issue of security should remain an “elementary issue” for every enterprise today.

The inaugural stage also featured: Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, Minister of Family, Labor and Social Policy; Monika Wielichowska, Deputy Speaker of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland; Joanna Makowiecka-Gatza, president of Employers of Poland; and Ph.D. Piotr Wachowiak, rector of the Warsaw School of Economics. Minister Dziemianowicz-Bąk noted that in the rapidly changing economic reality, “we are working together on solutions that will benefit the Polish economy not only in a year or two, but also in the perspective of the coming decades and subsequent generations.”

Poland in times of tension: what awaits us in the coming years?

Just after the opening of the congress, a conversation with Tomasz Siemoniak began on the Be Ready stage, devoted to security and geopolitics. The minister said unequivocally: “The war is right next to us (…) – we are on the front line”, adding that in such a context “no matter in Poland can be conducted in isolation from security.”

He also pointed out that a sense of stability is crucial for foreign investors:

If someone sits in Japan, looks at the globe and sees where Ukraine is, he or she also sees that our part of the world is a risk area.

He drew attention to Poland’s long historical experience: “The awareness of the threat from Russia is in our DNA in Poland. This is 300 years of history.” He also referred to the consequences of war and hybrid pressure: “Acts of sabotage, hybrid actions, cyberattacks – all this is part of Russia’s strategy to punish countries that support Ukraine. And Poland is one of them.”

The minister emphasized the need for a precise state response to attempts to limit Polish security guarantees: We reacted immediately, because such a phrase can then be interpreted exactly the opposite: if there can be European fighters, it means that they cannot be American.

He also noted that state funds are systematically strengthened: “The budget for 2024-2025 is clearly higher (…). We are realistically talking about increases of 10-20% year on year.” He emphasized the efficiency of the services: “When information about acts of sabotage or arrests appears – as recently – the Internal Security Agency and the police are among the first to respond. (…) They perform this work reliably and precisely.”

Former Prime Ministers of the Republic of Poland about Poland’s strategic challenges

In the panel “Poland’s Strategic Alliances: 30 Years of Economic and Social Development”, three former prime ministers – Jan Krzysztof Bielecki, Leszek Miller and Waldemar Pawlak – presented the directions that will define Poland’s position.

Leszek Miller identified three key pillars: “Firstly, strengthen European integration (…). Secondly, cooperation with the United States, also within NATO (…). And thirdly, build our own ability to act, because no alliance can replace the power of the state.” He stressed that contesting the West weakens Poland and violates the foundations of its development.

Jan Krzysztof Bielecki recalled how much both Poland and the European Union itself have changed: “We entered the Union, which consisted of 15 countries (…). Today, Europe is undoubtedly overregulated.” He also emphasized the significant increase in wealth: “Then our GDP per capita was about 40% of the EU average. Today we have 80%.”

Waldemar Pawlak focused on regulatory effectiveness: “We should talk about regulatory effectiveness”, pointing out that the pace of legislation should support development. He drew attention to the foundation of financial stability: “The strength of the budget comes not only from economical spending, but also from high revenues.”

Development financing and EU competitiveness

In the panel “Strengthening EU Competitiveness: A Financing Perspectives”, experts analyzed the challenges related to financing European growth.

Katarzyna Smyk, Director of the European Commission Representation in Poland, emphasized that “The biggest challenge is the effectiveness of the deregulation process (…). It is crucial that the regulations have a real impact and are not introduced without a cost versus value analysis.” She also noted that “barriers to the free movement of services cost Europe enormously.”

Ph.D. Marcin Liberadzki, member of the Supervisory Board of BOŚ Bank, reminded that “Investments must be economically sensible and generate cash flow”, while emphasizing that “The Polish banking sector is not able to finance large projects on its own, e.g. a nuclear power plant or CPK.”

Anna Zalewska, Advocacy Manager at BASF Polska, drew attention to the impact of chemical regulations on the entire value chain: “The withdrawal of one substance can have a huge impact on the entire linear industry and the success of the energy and climate transformation.”

Sławomir Szmytkowski, Vice-President of the Management Board of Asseco Poland, emphasized the importance of technological independence: Let’s try to give the client maximum flexibility and the ability to change technology in the future.

He also warned that “a high level of regulation limits the margin for experimentation and trial, which directly reduces competitiveness.”

Summary of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union

In a conversation with Bartek Czyczerski, Secretary of State Ignacy Niemczycki emphasized that “we managed to develop a certain methodology for the work of the Polish Presidency”, and work on omnibuses is carried out in a new, more efficient system.

As he said, “we have pace, we have a new process that is going well.” At the same time, he noted: “is this the revolution some of us were counting on? Probably not yet,” emphasizing that this is a “long-term process.”

Niemczycki pointed out that “the Green Deal is not dead – the entire legislative fabric remains alive,” and omnibuses are a key operation of this policy today. He also emphasized the growing role of the EU in defense: “Just a few years ago, defense was the domain of states and NATO – today the EU is proposing specific solutions.”

Referring to the benefits of membership, he noted: “Exports have increased sixfold. We are one of the 20 largest economies in the world and we have all the documents to really co-decide on the future of the Union.”

Speaking about the EU budget, he pointed out: “Budget discussions are brutal (…). Poland must take care of its national envelope.” He also stressed the need for new, equitable own resources: “We support new sources of financing, but we do not want them to be regressive.”

Niemczycki concluded that the coming years will be crucial for Polish companies: “I encourage you to put a lot of effort into obtaining money from centrally managed instruments in the next two years.”

The largest edition of Polish Business Power in history

Lectures, debates and conversations will take place throughout the day on seven stages, making this year’s edition of the event the largest in the history of the congress. The program includes several dozen sessions devoted to economy, security, social policy, innovation and international cooperation.

The event will end with the “DNA gala – because helping is in our genes.” This is the moment when the world of business and social organizations come together in a common mission to provide real help. The gala will recognize companies and NGOs that go beyond business goals – supporting local communities, implementing projects with a real social impact and showing that responsibility can be the foundation of long-term development.