Grzegorz Gorzelak

Reforming EU cohesion policy: a reappraisal of the performance of the structural funds

The aim of this article is to reassess the effectiveness of Cohesion policy. It examines the evidence for the performance of the policy since 1988, with a view to testing four main assumptions: that convergence is taking place at national and regional levels; that Cohesion policy has made a durable contribution to convergence and regional restructuring, in terms of GDP and employment; that Cohesion policy funds have been spent in the most effective way; and that there is a wider added value from Cohesion policy spending. The article goes on to consider issues for the budget review and how the effectiveness of Cohesion policy at the European level might be improved.

Brain drain, brain gain, and mobility: theories and prospective methods

This paper presents some theoretical and methodological considerations associated with the geographical and professional mobility of science professionals, including the conduct by the authors of a large scale survey questionnaire in Poland in 1994. It does not directly relate to research conducted elsewhere in the region, but does reflect selected issues and problems encountered.

Metropolis and its Region—New Relations in the Information Economy1

The new development paradigm has led to a new specialization of specific territorial entities and thus has influenced the mutual relations between them. In particular, these changes have influenced the relations between the metropolis and its hinterland. The contemporary metropolis concentrates innovative activities that have led to the development of flows within the network of the worlds large cities. As a result, its ties with the regional surroundings that offer mainly “simple” resources have became relatively weaker. This article outlines these new processes on the basis of an empirical study of three Polish metropolises: Warsaw, Poznań and the so-called Tricity (Gdańsk-Gdynia-Sopot).

The 2008–09 Economic Crisis: Consequences in Central and Eastern Europe

In 2008, less than 20 years since most former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) embarked on a major process of political transformation and economic restructuring, Europe was hit by the global economic crisis. The post-communist countries were not spared by the economic turmoil. On the contrary, some of them paid a high price for their close integration into the global economy (thus ‘importing’ a similar disease as the developed ‘others’); some paid for their own policy mistakes, which exacerbated the depth of the problem and in many cases these processes were combined. It was the second recession of the post-Soviet period, with the first, between 1989 and 1994, a massive transformational recession caused by radical changes in the entire economic system, from planned to market economies; the second recession, in 2008–09, had different roots, and thus the policy reaction to it was also different.1

The Regions of Poland

Poland is a unitary, decentralized state, in which the decentralization process is still under way. The territorial administrative system has varied over time; however, traditions of ‘self-government’ have deep historical roots. Poland is a territorially differentiated state, although this differentiation (in terms of GDP per inhabitant) is not greater than that in other European countries of a similar size. Regional differentiation, however, been growing more rapidly during the last 15 years than in West European countries; a process also witnessed in other post-socialist countries. Polish society displays a low level of regional identification, although the regional differences in values and attitudes are clearly visible. Historical factors are of the greatest importance in explaining these differences. Poland’s accession to the European Union (EU) opened up new possibilities for the development of the entire country as well as its regions. Following decentralization, Polish territorial units will enjoy a relatively high degree of autonomy in taking advantage of the funds channeled to Poland by the EU and in building upon international economic cooperation.

Spatial order and polish disorder: Problems in the Polish space economy

Abstract Poland is currently undergoing a severe social andeconomic crisis — but this is also a crisis of spatial organisation. This paper first examines the problem of the Polish space economy, looking in turn at settlement structure, migration, economic specialisation, technical infrastructure andenvironmental problems. It then turns to the causes of spatial imbalance — the strategy of forced industrialisation and the nature of economic management in Poland — and the effects these have had on territorial structure andsocial attitudes alike. Noting that spatial imbalances are not just a function of the problems of Polish society, but are also a cause of these problems, this paper concludes with an alternative regional scenario on reformed social management.