This week CNN International is running a series of reports on Poland, focusing on politics, the economy and many other aspects of Polish life. 

Michał Kubicki reports

The motto of the CNN special project is ‘Eye on Poland – Country at the Crossroads’. Almost two decades after the collapse of communism and the start of the democratic and free-market transformations, CNN looks at the state of the Polish economy, Poland’s position  across the European region and the role of the Polish people on the international stage. Poland is the first post-communist country to be the subject of such a week-long series. For Deputy President of CNN International Mike McCarthy present-day Poland is a country of success.

‘The secrets of the success come from the characteristics of the Polish people and you can see those characteristics play out within the Polish government. If you look at the way it negotiated with the European Union or America, or its relations with Russia after the Georgia crisis, you see that independent mindedness, you see that desire to do, not necessarily what’s the easiest option but to do what’s right, and also that creative spirit which is driving a lot of business and a lot of the economic issues.’

Most of the live reports from Warsaw are by CNN anchor Fionnuala Sweeney.

‘We will be covering various aspects of the Polish society, Polish politics, Polish culture and Polish pop culture. This morning we were at the Market Square in the Old Town and broadcast from there. It was something very personal to me to have read about what a place it was during the Second World War and to see it rebuilt almost to its original state.’

The Eye on Poland project also includes reports from other Polish cities, such as Gdansk and Sopot on the Baltic coast, Krakow in the south and Lodz. They cover a wide range of topics, including the Stock Exchange, the role of immigration to the United States and EU countries and Poland’s cultural scene. The project also features interviews with top Polish businessmen, artists and athletes. CNN has encouraged its viewers to send their comments, photos and videos to www.cnn.com/poland.

In recent years, the ‘Eye on…’ series focused on France, India, South Korea, China and Russia.