The Krakow Post NO. 16 WWW.KRAKOWPOST.COM AUGUST 23-AUGUST 29, 2007 WEEKLY Malopolska bursting with EU funds The beautiful Niepolomice castle, 25 kilometers from Krakow, dates back to the Renaissance. With sensible use of EU funds, it was converted into a hotel and conference center. PHOTO/LUK Agency THIS WEEK Alicja Natkaniec Malopolskie Province. The region will get fastest-growing areas of the economy in clude energy-management, waste-manage- STAFF JOURNALIST 7.7 percent of the 16.5 bln euro that Poland recent years. About 100 mln euro of EU ment and wastewater-treatment programs. will receive money will go toward developing tourism EU money will also provide grants to Ex-007 to advertise Malopolska Province has passed an im- The infusion of EU money may rev up businesses and services, and promoting small and medium-sized businesses. The portant test in its quest to win 1.29 bln euro the economy in a way that the Malopolska tourism. idea is to foster innovation and help these Polish suits, shirts in economic-development money from the Region has never seen before. For the first time the region will spend a enterprises increase their competitiveness. Pierce Brosnan will be the face EU. The Integrated Regional Operational sizable chunk of EU money – about 93 mln of Vistula & Wolczanka S.A., a The European Commission has signed Program set nine economic-development euro – on “green” projects. These will in- See MALOPOLSKA on Page 12 off on the province’s development plan, priorities. Polish company that manufactures known as the Integrated Regional Opera- The biggest amount – almost 400 mln high-end men’s suits and shirts 3 tional Program. euro, or 30 percent of the total – will be for The EU’s European Regional Develop- roads and public transport. The road work ment Fund is helping to finance develop- will involve both new construction and the Next direction for ment in Malopolska and every other prov- redoing of existing routes but also enhanc- ince in Poland. ing economic activity of this sector. migration: Holland The European Commission’s approval of Another big chunk of the EU money Malopolska’s development plan means the – more than 160 mln euro – will go toward Since opening its doors to work- province and the local governments within improving the educational system, espe- ers from new EU member states it will get 1.29 bln euro for development be- cially helping to develop an information – Poles have been stampeding tween 2007 and 2013. That is an average of society. house of entertainment Holland’s borders 4 215 mln euro a year. Schools will be able to apply for grants to The EU gave the region 185 mln euro refurbish their facilities, add resources such the best entertainment in Krakow between 2004 and 2006, or about 92.5 mln as libraries and add or replace equipment. piano bar a year. Schools and other public institutions will Skyline in Katowice So the new figure is 2.5 times more than be part of a project known as eCitizen. Its live-music sessions the EU has ever committed to the region. objective will be to develop a public-sector bring card – get prize gets bigger and better Malopolska is the third of Poland’s 16 information-technology infrastructure that provinces to win EU approval for its devel- allows more public-sector access to the In- HOTEL NOVOTEL, ul. Armii Krajowej 11 The highest Silesia Office Tower Tel.: +48 (0) 12 636-0807 skyscraper will join Altus as the opment plan. “For us, this is a historical mo- ternet and helps develop IT services. ment,” said Marek Nawara, the governor of Another priority is tourism, one of the region’s tallest building 11 2 The Krakow Post POLAND AUGUST 23-AUGUST 29, 2007 R E G I O N A L N E W S Ukraine president halts all privatization deals Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko Lawmakers to settle snap Monday announced a freeze on a sweep- ing privatization program of state-run firms ahead of legislative elections next month, saying the deals could be shady. “During this period which is sensitive from a political point of view, it is not elections issue in September worth our while to initiate or organize” fresh privatization schemes, he told a news conference. Yushchenko had earlier during In a step towards an early ballot, the four remaining Samoobrona and LPR ministers were his presidency said he would review priva- tization schemes undertaken during the re- sacked from the cabinet last week, marking the end of Warsaw’s fractious government gime of his predecessor Leonid Kuchma. agence france-presse an impasse by dissolving the assembly er than 45 days after the Sejm’s decision. minister fired Lepper after corruption “I am absolutely convinced that the ex- and calling early elections. However, the rules are more complicated allegations which Lepper dismissed as a ecutive and the State Property Fund are Poland’s parliament will decide next Observers had expected Poland’s MPs if lawmakers leave it up to the president shabby smear attempt. not capable of executing an impartial and month whether to approve snap elections to tackle the issue when they returned to act, and that would push elections back In a penultimate step towards an early objective privatization,” said the pro-West- which the government and opposition say from their summer recess. to November 4 or 18, Dorn said. ballot, the four remaining Samoobrona ern president, who is at loggerheads with are needed to end a political crisis, a top Lawmakers had likewise been tipped Poland’s political woes stem in part and LPR ministers were sacked from the his Moscow-backed Prime Minister Viktor official said early this week. to deal with a motion from the failure of the cabinet last week, marking the formal Yanukovych. The government wants to put Speaker Ludwik Dorn told reporters of no confidence in Kaczynskis’ party, Law end of Warsaw’s fractious government up state-run giants and initiate a “scramble that the 460-member lower house, the Jaroslaw Kaczynski’s Speaker Ludwik Dorn told and Justice (PiS), to and creating a new PiS minority admin- for the spoils” before the polls, Yushchenko Sejm, would decide at its September cabinet, but Deputy reporters that the 460- win a majority in the istration. PiS and PO together have 281 said, adding that he was opposed to the sale 7 sitting whether to dissolve itself two Speaker Bronislaw member lower house, the 2005 elections. seats in the Sejm, so to hit the two-thirds of the Odessa Port Factory. years ahead of schedule. Komorowski, a mem- PiS narrowly beat mark they will need to muster support for Ukraine’s State Property Fund is plan- If a dissolution motion fails to win the ber of the liberal oppo- Sejm, would decide at its PO that year, and opted dissolution from 26 MPs from other par- ning to put up 99.52 percent of the Odessa necessary support of two thirds of MPs, sition Civic Platform September 7 sitting whether to set up a minority ties, several of which are nervous about Port Factory for sale at an auction set for Dorn said he would ask President Lech (PO), said that that to dissolve itself two years government after fail- snap elections because of poor opinion October 29. The minimum bid has been Kaczynski to consider the “alternative would likewise be held ing to form a coalition poll ratings. fixed at $500 mln (370.8 mln euro). In solution.” over until September. ahead of schedule. with the liberals. Early elections would also be a gamble March, the body sold a locomotive factory That would entail the head of state ac- Earlier this month, In May 2006, PiS for PiS, because recent polls have shown in the country’s east for $58 mln. The deal cepting the resignation of Poland’s cur- the Kaczynskis and PO agreed that early bolstered the cabinet by bringing in the it would get 24 percent of the vote while was criticized as shady both by the presi- rent minority government led by his twin elections were needed to end government populist Samoobrona (Self-Defense) PO would receive 33 percent, which, un- dent and some sections of the media. brother, Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kacz- infighting, and suggested that Poles could and far-right League of Polish Families der the Polish system, could be enough to In the first quarter of the year privatiza- ynski, said Dorn, a long-standing ally of return to the ballot box on October 21, (LPR). The three-party government col- form a majority government. tion sales have netted only $60 mln against the Kaczynskis. only two years after they were last called lapsed in September 2006 after a bitter Two years ago, however, PiS was able the state’s target of $2 bln for the whole “The current parliament has lost its out to vote. policy battle between Jaroslaw Kaczyn- to overturn PO’s lead thanks to a hard hit- year. (AFP) reason for being, because it is incapable The October plan could still bear fruit ski and Deputy Premier Andrzej Lepper, ting campaign focusing on fighting cor- Fitch downgrades Latvia of producing a majority government,” even if lawmakers only agree in Septem- the leader of Samoobrona. ruption. Dorn said. Under Poland’s constitution, ber to dissolve parliament, because Polish It was revived three weeks later, but fi- The next elections were not officially over overheating fears the president is empowered to end such law says elections must take place no lat- nally fell to pieces in July when the prime due until late 2009.