Economist Urges Germany to Spend Hundreds of Billions as Poland Outgrows It by 3%
Updated
Updated · Euronews · Jun 22
Economist Urges Germany to Spend Hundreds of Billions as Poland Outgrows It by 3%
1 articles · Updated · Euronews · Jun 22
Summary
Marcin Piątkowski said Germany needs a “bold, even revolutionary” response to years of stagnation, combining much stronger fiscal and monetary stimulus with faster structural reforms to stop further deindustrialization.
He argued Germany has underinvested for decades: public investment has run near 2.5% of GDP—about half Poland’s rate—while overly strict fiscal policy has, in his view, weakened competitiveness.
Poland’s model offers lessons in more open labor and product markets, stronger entrepreneurship and education, and heavy infrastructure spending, including nearly 6,000 kilometers of highways and expressways over 20 years.
European Commission forecasts put Poland’s growth above 3% this year and next year—more than three times Germany’s pace—while Piątkowski said Poland has avoided recession since 1990 apart from a shallow COVID dip.
He also cast closer German-Polish integration as an opportunity, noting German exports to Poland are expected to top 100 billion euros this year, making Poland a bigger market for Germany than China.
With Poland’s economy outpacing Germany’s, can Europe's old engine learn from its rising neighbor to escape stagnation?
Is Poland’s massive state-led investment in projects like Port Polska a new blueprint for 21st-century economic success?
Will the proposed German-Polish economic alliance create a new power center that fundamentally reshapes the European Union?
Poland’s Economic Boom and Germany’s Stagnation: The New Divide in European Growth and Security (2025-2026)
Overview
In 2025 and 2026, Poland's economy stands out in Europe with strong growth, while Germany faces ongoing stagnation. This marks a major shift in the continent's economic landscape, as Poland's GDP consistently outpaces many European countries. The surge is driven by a broad economic recovery and strong consumer activity, especially in the second half of 2025. As Poland continues to expand, Germany struggles to regain momentum, highlighting a growing divide between the two nations. This divergence signals a move away from Europe's traditional industrial core, with Poland emerging as a new center of economic dynamism.