The European Business Club Poland’s approach to business-related matters is holistic as it recognises their importance for entrepreneurship, culture, science, media and their whole surrounding. Such complexity means the synergy of economic activity with all other fields resulting in the comprehensive development of the whole society, humanity and the improvement of living standards. The Association, when carrying out its activities, adheres to the principles adopted by it as well as the system of values and ideals recognising them as imperative and timeless. They are: culture, ethos, morals, ethics and social solidarity. These values are specifically taken into consideration by the European Business Club Poland when awarding prizes being their personification. The main award of the European Business Club Poland VICTORIA EUROPAE 2017 EUROPEAN VICTORY is granted for remarkable achievements resulting in enhancing Poland’s prestige worldwide. In 2017, this award was presented to Mateusz Morawiecki, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Development and Finance in recognition of his outstanding merits and achievements in conditions for the development of the Polish economy and raising its rank on the international arena.
Due to the extremely wide spectrum of issues, activities and impacts being addressed, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Development and Finance Mateusz Morawiecki has a real influence on developing the Polish economy, its competitiveness and removing any obstacles in its functioning. By his decisions he creates the conditions for business activities being carried out by Polish entrepreneurs, safeguards the guarantee of economic freedom promised in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland and in addition, he also determines the scope of partnership between the public administration and entrepreneurs. Mateusz Morawiecki regularly and willingly meets entrepreneurs, listens to them and holds a dialogue with them. He also participates in international, bilateral and multilateral projects during which he effectively encourages investors to cooperate with our country and presents solutions adopted in Poland. In international relations, he actively presents the Polish national interest and seeks the Polish economy interests to be fulfilled.
Two important nationwide documents were prepared under the direction of the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Development and Finance:
- The Constitution for Business;
- The Strategy for the Responsible Development
until 2020 (with the perspective until 2030)
The Constitution for Business is a long-awaited document. Its purpose was to guarantee the entrepreneurs’ rights. It stipulates, among other things, the appointment of the entrepreneurs’ spokesman for which the European Business Club Poland called already in 2013 and which was specified in the bill draft prepared by one of the members of the Management Board of our Association. Although the bill draft was submitted to the representatives of the Deputies’ Clubs in the Lower House, they did not support it then.
Now, there is a chance of introducing it, and we do hope for it. One of the basic aspects important for every entrepreneur is the transparency of law and interpretations of regulations, and thus, consequently, certainty of law. Certainty of law is the primary ally for entrepreneurs as it allows them to make key decisions related both to their ongoing businesses and the strategy of their development. Certainty of law produces measurable effects by, for instance, reducing costs of legal assistance or costs of time-consuming court proceedings. The reference to the famous “Wilczek’s Act” according to which whatever is not expressly forbidden, is allowed is also related to the aforementioned certainty of law. Our approaches to the principle of “tacit consent of the authority” or interpreting any ambiguities to the entrepreneur’s benefit are alike as well.
We are also optimistic about the proposal of applying, by authorities, penalties adequate to misconducts. It undoubtedly creates a sense of justice and serves the purpose of strengthening positive relations between the country and entrepreneurs. We also hope that it will eliminate well-known cases in which minor offences (e.g. an error of few groszes [00/100] on an invoice) were subject to the penalty exceeding many times losses, if any, incurred by the State Treasury and being disproportionately high in relation to the fault being factually caused. It is also justified to appoint a joint government-entrepreneurs commission as the permanent forum for discussions and cooperation between the ministries and the entrepreneurs’ representatives aiming at, among other things, drawing up opinions on legal acts of great importance for business activities and working out mutual solutions. The European Business Club Poland supports the suggestion of Professor Elżbieta Mączyńska, President of the Polish Economic Society, to expand the composition of such commission also by the representatives of non-governmental institutions.
Placing emphasis on establishing partnership relations between the state and entrepreneurs based on mutual trust and “friendly neutrality” is of great importance. Based on the assumptions presented in the Constitution for Business, one may conclude that the manner of perceiving entrepreneurs has been changed – they have been finally recognised as solid foundations for building welfare and development of the Polish society. The second document The Strategy for the Responsible Development until 2020 (with the perspective until 2030) is a key document with respect to the medium- and long-term economic policy. This strategy is already in the process of being implemented through specific activities and projects which were undertaken already last year by the Government of the Republic of Poland and institutions subordinated to it, within the framework of changing the development paradigm for Poland. Increasing the Polish capital share in banking sector, a new quality of export policy, the package of facilities for firms, the effective unification of institutions responsible for development or the ability to acquire technologically advanced Polish and foreign greenfield- -related investments constitute only a few examples of projects completed so far. They prove that the Strategy is effective, but first of all they show a powerful and positive development potential in the Polish economy and Polish entrepreneurship. A glorious vision of development connected with economic pragmatism aiming at strengthening and modernising the Polish economy and significant increase of the competitiveness of products and services offered by Polish firms has been worked out. It will be supported by new developing instruments created within the framework of the Strategy (financing products and support programmes) for such areas of special priority as: international expansion, industries of the future, development of small- and medium-sized enterprises, public and private partnership, investment partnership with local self-governing authorities, development of the venture capital market in Poland or territorially sustainable development, with particular regard to special economic zones and investments in areas neglected to date.
The strategy is oriented at the responsible and joint and several development, and it aims at emerging entrepreneurship, inventiveness and productiveness. Coherence among comprehensive social programmes, designation of several tens of billions of Polish zlotys each year for creating equal social opportunities and economic development and ensuring the financing for both economic and social programmes is a key to success of the Strategy. Although there is a natural competition between goals of social and development policies, the Strategy assumes that reducing such competition will be possible as a result of introducing the programme of eliminating loopholes in tax regime. It is a sine qua non condition for development while maintaining the budget sustainability and stability of solidarity schemes.
The Strategy for the Responsible Development creates the space for great new opportunities to be used in economic processes. At the same time, it gives hope for developing all social classes. It creates mechanisms of effective cooperation inside industries and among various sectors of the national economy. It balances the concern on enhancing competitiveness of enterprises and solidarity schemes. Ongoing competition and cooperation in various sectoral areas creates new prospects for development. Merging the world of science, research and implementation with business environments will allow a new quality and higher profitability of the whole economy to be achieved.
Curicullum vitae
Mateusz Morawiecki was born on 20 June 1968 in Wrocław. He is a Polish manager, banker and politician.
On 11 December 2017 he was appointed to the position of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Development and Finance.
From 29 September 2016 to 11 December 2017, he was the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Development and Finance. From 16 November 2015 to 29 September 2016 he was the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Development.
He graduated with a degree in history from the University in Wrocław, studied Business Administration at the Wrocław University of Technology and the Central Connecticut State University. He was awarded the MBA degree from the Wrocław University of Economics. He is also a graduate of the University of Hamburg, the University of Basel and the Kellog School of Management at Northwestern University, Evanston in the United States.
He commenced his professional career in 1992 working for the company Cogito. In the years 1993-1996, he was working for Enter Marketing-Publishing in Wrocław. In 1995, he completed apprenticeship at Deutsche Bundesbank, and in the years 1996-1997, he was working at the University in Frankfurt am Main. Co-author of the handbook on EU laws and economics of economic integration. In the years 1998–2001, he was a member of supervisory boards of the Agency for Industrial Development (ARP) and Zakład Energetyczny Wałbrzych. He was also a member of the Dolnośląskie Provincial Assembly of the 1st term. In 1998, he was the Deputy to the Director of the Accession Negotiation Department at the European Integration Committee, and he was also a member of the team negotiating Poland’s accession to the European Union (Banking and Finance). In the years 1998 until 2001, he was working for Bank Zachodni – at first as the advisor to the President of the Management Board, and then as a member of the Management Board and the Managing Director. In June 2001, Mateusz Morawiecki was appointed as the Member of the Management Board of Bank Zachodni WBK, and in May 2007, he was appointed to the position of the President of the Management Board. In 2013, he was awarded the Freedom and Solidarity Cross for merits in activities for Poland’s independence and sovereignty and for respecting human rights, and on 23 June 2015, for outstanding merits in activities for supporting and promoting Poland’s culture and national heritage, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
He is fluent in English and German. He speaks also Russian.
Professor dr hab. Mariusz Andrzejewski delivered a laudation
in honor of Mateusz Morawiecki, Laureate of the main prize
VICTORIA EUROPAE 2017 EUROPEAN VICTORY
The letter from Mateusz Morawiecki, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Development and Finance,
issued on the occasion of receiving the VICTORIA EUROPAE 2017 EUROPEAN VICTORY award, was
read by and the award was received on behalf of the Laureate by Andżelika Możdżanowska, Secretary
of State in the Ministry of Development and the Government Plenipotentiary for small and medium-
sized enterprises. The award was handed by professor Elżbieta Mączyńska, President of the Chapter
of Awards and Janusz Cieślak, President of EBC Poland.
