More and more Poles declaring insolvency in the British Isles,  developing Polish exports and Poland’s most precious Lady will be travelling…

“Poles going bankrupt on the British Isles” is the front-page headline from Rzeczpospolita which writes that more and more Polish emigrants there declare insolvency for two main reasons: they have been living beyond their means or they want to return to their homeland debt-free.

Anyone can submit insolvency motion in Great Britain, reports the paper, and several thousand Poles there have already done so. Also, Polish companies offering assistance in writing off debts in Britain have registered a twenty percent increase in business in 2010. Most of those cases result from unemployment and loans which were available too easily – says Andrzej Jaworski, the owner of “Indebted Island” in Rzeczpospolita.

“Polish exports developing: from coal to  highly specialized technologies”  heralds Dziennik Gazeta Prawna reporting that Polish companies are quickly increasing their share in international markets although catching up with other EU member states will take them a long time. Within the last ten years Polish export calculated per capita tripled while last year it amounted to 3800 euro already – shows data from the EU’s statistical office, Eurostat. This is a reason for satisfaction because export drives economic development domestically. There is the other side of this coin, however, and that is the fact that it is still two and a half times lower than an EU average.

“A Travelling Lady” is the headline from Gazeta Wyborcza which writes that  the most precious painting in Polish collections - Leonardo da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine will be allowed to be exhibited in Berlin, London and Madrid. Despite initial objections, Poland's General Conservator of National Heritage and Deputy Minister of Culture reversed his decision regarding the painting which will now spend the next eight months travelling between the three European capitals. The daily presents arguments both in favor and against the decision as well as an editorial of its cultural journalist who comments on the dispute over the precious lady which has been going on between art historians and the National Museum on the one side and the Czartoryski Foundation which owns it on the other.

“World leaders attending the beatification of Pope John Paul II “ is the headline from the tabloid Fakt which  writes that at least  fifty one heads of states will travel to Rome for the occasion, among them Poland’s president Bronislaw Komorowski,  his Italian opposite number Giorgio Napolitano with wife Clio as well as King Albert II of Belgium with Queen Paola. The full list of prestigious attendees, currently kept confidential for security reasons, is to be disclosed shortly before the beatification mass. (ds)