The debates of the XV Economic Forum were reported by

Media
The debates of the XV Economic Forum were reported
by approximately 200 accredited journalists, representing 43 Polish and 41 foreign media organizations. Their
studios and outside broadcast vans were installed on
Krynica’s promenade: TVP, TVN24, Polsat, Polish Radio,
and RMF FM.
The interest in the subject range of the discussions held
within the scope of the Forum has been testified to by
more than 120 articles in the Polish and more than 50 in
the foreign, press, numerous television broadcasts and
radio reports, dispatches in information agencies and
Internet services. The debates of the Forum were broadcast live on the website: www.forum-ekonomiczne.pl
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XV Economic Forum, Krynica 2005
Media
The interest in the topics discussed at the Forum
is testified to by 140 articles in the Polish press
and more than 50 in the foreign press,
along with many dispatches.
The XV Economic Forum was serviced by
more than 200 journalists, representatives
of the press, radio and television, from 43
Polish and 41 foreign media organizations,
among them:
• public and commercial television stations:
TVP, TVN24, Polsat, TV Business, Ukrainian
State Television, Public TV Company Teleradio-Moldova,
• radio stations:
Polish Radio, RMF FM, Radio PIN 102FM,
Radio TOK FM, Radio Krakow, RDN Malopolska, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
(Czech), Radio Svoboda (Ukraine), Bayernische Rundfunk (Germany),
• Polish press:
Rzeczpospolita, Gazeta Wyborcza, Puls
Biznesu, Dziennik Polski, Przeglàd, Wprost,
Forbes, Computerworld, Gazeta Bankowa,
Gazeta Krakowska, Warsaw Voice, Media
and Marketing Poland, Solidarity Weekly,
Polish Market, Union&Poland,
• foreign press:
Financial Times (United Kingdom), Le Soir
(Belgium), Chisinevskii Obozrevatel (Moldova),
Delovaya Nedelya (Kazakhstan), Den/The
Day (Ukraine), Evening Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), FOCUS Magazine Moscow (Russia),
Die Gazette (Germany), Georgian Times
(Georgia), Krytyka (Ukraine), Morgenavisen
Jyllands Posten (Danmark), Moskovskie
Novosti (Russia), Neue Zurcher Zeitung
(Switzerland), Nezavisimaya Gazeta (Russia),
Novaya Gazeta (Ukraine), Panorama (Kazakhstan), Petroleum Journal (Kyrgyzstan),
Russia in Global Affairs Journal (Russia),
Lvivskaja Gazeta (Ukraine), Politiken (Denmark), Political Thought (Ukraine), Tribune
– Russian Political Gazette (Russia), Ukrainian Investment Magazine (Ukraine), De
Volkskrant (Holland), Die Welt (Germany),
WirtschaftsBlatt (Austria),
• Internet agencies and portals:
PAP, Reuters Europe SA, Agence France
Presse, Associated Press, Interfax Europe,
Austria Presse Agentur, Press Agency
‘Ukraifski Nowyny’, Czech Press Agency,
Business Interia.pl, Mergermarket, Noyan
Tapan Information Centre, RIA “Novosti’,
TOL, Ukrainian National Information Agency
‘Ukrinform’, Bloomberg, Europress Survey
With Der Tagenspiegel, Dow Jones Newswires, TASR (News Agency of the Slovak
Republic), IPO Internews Ukraine, Gazeta.kg
(Kyrgyzstan).
Accredited journalists participated in sessions, discussion panels and other open debates, and also in accompanying events.
There were press conferences held during
the Forum, among others, with Lech Wa∏´sa, Aleksander KwaÊniewski, Valdas Adamkus, and Cardinal Renato Martino (President of the Pontifical Committee for Justice
and Peace). A press conference at the headquarters of the Polish Press Agency in
Warsaw was also held a week before the Forum.
Live media coverage of the Forum events
was provided by the main Polish television
and radio stations. Studios and outside
broadcast vans were set up in the promenade at Krynica by: TVP, TVN24, Polsat,
Polish Radio, and RMF FM. Reports from
the XV Economic Forum and statements by
the politicians and other guests at the
Forum were reported live in television
broadcasts (TVP – Plus-Minus, PanoramaBusiness, News; POLSAT – News; TVN24 –
Facts, News Bulletin Balance) and radio
broadcasts (RMF FM, Polish Radio, Polish
Radio Krakow, RDN Malopolska, TOK FM,
Radio PIN 102 FM). Forum debates were
also broadcast live on the web site
www.forum-ekonomiczne.pl
A Press Centre was open to accredited
journalists, who could avail themselves of
computer workstations with fixed Internet
access. Internet connection was possible
also thanks to a wireless Internet network
accessible in the whole congress centre.
Information Technology services for the
press centre were provided by the following companies: Lumena, Maxdata and DLink.
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XV Economic Forum, Krynica 2005
A press conference by Presidents Aleksander KwaÊniewski and Valdas Adamkus
Hidden in the heart of the Tatra Mountains,
in the triangle formed by Poland, Slovakia
and Ukraine, lies the small spa of Krynica,
where an annual economic forum takes
place, with its sights set on becoming
Eastern Europe’s Davos. Krynica has
become the symbol of Poland’s ambition
to be considered a true regional powerhouse in the new, enlarged EU. (…) The
meeting in Krynica gives Poland an opportunity to gauge its influence. Numerous
contacts among businesspeople take
place. The forum also gives Ukrainian and
Belarusian leaders, be it those holding
power or those in the opposition, to attend
in considerable numbers and measure the
pulse of change in Central Europe.
The conference has shown that representatives of Central Europe have more faith in
their economic competitiveness than in
their political readiness. Despite a variety of
problems, they believe their economies to
be more flexible and to have a higher
growth potential than those of their Western
neighbours. They will be glad to adopt
Europe’s common currency, the euro;
although they know that they will have to
wait for this. The Poles, Hungarians and
Czechs have budget deficits, which will
have to be cut in half or even more in order
to meet the requirements of the euro zone.
This will be difficult politically, particularly
considering that the largest countries of the
zone (namely France and Germany) are
running excessive deficits and getting
away with it.
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XV Economic Forum, Krynica 2005
The course of the Forum was reported live by the main Polish TV and radio stations. TVP, TVN24, Polsat, Polish Radio,
and RMF FM set up studios and outside broadcast vans on the Krynica promenade
The full, official name: the Economic Forum
in Krynica has survived only in official documents. The same as people say Davos,
and not the World Economic Forum in
Davos, they say simply Krynica.
The panel discussions were open to all
those accredited, no matter if they were
high ranking officials of state administrations or rank-and-file journalists. There
have been more and more people coming,
and delegations have included officials of
higher and higher levels. It has not only
been a meeting of Poland with the East,
but a meeting of the West with the East in
scenery that encourages open talk.
The Forum long ago gained fame as the
‘Polish Davos’ and as the main economic
congress in the area of Central and Eastern
Europe. Representatives of the European
states discussed issues such as e-administration and the future of pension reforms,
the development of energy supplies and
the scope of state participation in the economy; however, all these debates remained
in the shadow of the political agenda. In
this, the direction was given by Lech
Wa∏´sa, who stated that the call for the
acceleration of economic growth in Europe
was a statement of the 20th century, while
the 21st century is characterized by other
issues: solidarity among people, a commonly-agreed moral code, and the value of
everyman.
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XV Economic Forum, Krynica 2005
Heads of governments signed a statement
in Krynica in which they emphasised the
significance of a “knowledge-based economy’ in the growth of the region and the
common growth of Europe. They also
made reference to similar declarations by
the Prime Ministers of Germany, Great Britain, Sweden and Denmark and proposed
to these countries and the European Union
to create a network supporting the exchange of experience.
“We cannot be the best in everything,’ said
former Polish Prime Minister Buzek, “but in
the area of most modern technologies we
want to be among Europe’s leaders by
2010.’
The elite of Central and Eastern Europe
have come together for what is the East’s
“Davos’. A broad economic forum organised in Poland makes it possible to sense
the pulse of “New Europe’. The East wants
to be visible. (…) Numerous experts and
authorities from the area of politics and
economics have come to discuss the
future of Central and Eastern Europe. The
East of Europe – or its Centre, depending
on the place from where we look at the
map – is not bashful about its emancipation, just as unexpected as it was loud
when it turned its back on the “peace
camp’. New member states have stood
behind American views during the Iraq crisis. Poland will continue to persuade
European countries that significant transatlantic cooperation is the foundation of
security and of the future of the world.
Zygmunt Berdychowski, Chairman of the Economic Forum’s Programme Council,
a guest of TVN 24, with Roman M∏odkowski
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XV Economic Forum, Krynica 2005
A man with money is a man who seeks
convenience - he will not travel to the
mountains in September. So there must be
something unique at Krynica's Economic
Forum that this spa resort in Beskid
Sàdecki attracts at this time of year more
than 1,000 very busy men (and several
women). Solving this mystery does not
deserve an entire article; however, we at
Forbes are interested in both the financial
condition and the morale of the management elite. And in this sense, the Krynica
Forum is the most accurate barometer in
the country. Guests come to Krynica not only
for the panel discussions (…) because
without doubt the Forum is an excellent
place to establish new contacts and
exchange ideas. Each year there are more
and more ‘high ranking’ executives at Krynica, and interesting experts, especially
from abroad.
The XIV Forum featured a discussion on the
future development of relations, following
the EU entry of several post-communist
countries, an issue that is special and
extremely important for Ukraine. This is why
many guests from behind the Bug and San
have come to Krynica, mainly from Kiev, but
among the businessmen there were also
many representatives of industrial circles
from eastern regions of Ukraine. (...) For
KwaÊniewski – something he has repeated
in Krynica at every opportunity – one of the
main objectives, after Poland’s accession
to the European Union, will be to open the
doors to Europe for those countries that
remain behind them, above all for Ukraine.
Reports from the XV Economic Forum and statements of politicians and guests staying in the Forum were reported in live television broadcasts
(TVP – Plus-Minus, Panorama-Business, News; POLSAT – News; TVN24 – Facts, News Bulleting ‘Balance’)
and radio broadcasts (RMF FM, Polish Radio, Polish Radio Krakow, RDN Malopolska, TOK FM, Radio PIN 102 FM)
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XV Economic Forum, Krynica 2005
Lech Wa∏´sa, former President of Poland, at a press conference
led by Andrzej Jonas, Editor-in-Chief of ‘The Warsaw Voice’
The earth was shaking in Kiev and Warsaw,
but the biggest vibrations were recorded
by seismographs in Krynica. (…)
The Forum in Krynica, the biggest political
salon in the region, a ‘very in’ place, such a
‘vanity fair’, where one needs to make an
appearance, and where no judgments or
decisions are made, but – and here finally
everyone agrees – in order to be able to
make decisions, it is worth to meet once
again next year. In a slightly different makeup …
During the Forum numerous Russian
experts expressed their opinions while
bringing up the topics of foreign affairs, the
dangers resulting from Russia's accession
in the WTO, building the framework of a
civil society and the economy. (...) The
Forum was a success, and one should
expect it to continue as the ‘Eastern
European’ Davos.
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XV Economic Forum, Krynica 2005
Newspapers were available free of charge for the participants in the Forum,
among others, daily issues of The Financial Times
Nearly 1200 businessmen, politicians and
scientists inaugurated the four-day XV
Economic Forum in Krynica. Lech Walesa,
Prime Minister Marek Belka, Tadeusz
Mazowiecki and Italian cardinal Renato
Martino spoke of the challenges that
Europe has to face. Mazowiecki emphasized that not only is Europe's success in a
global context important - it needs to guarantee values and relate to its traditions.
President of the Pontifical Committee for
Justice and Peace Martino spoke of the
importance of truth, freedom, solidarity and
responsibility in politics, the economy and
science.
Not only is Krynica a popular Polish spa;
the Economic Forum, an annual event
organized there, makes the place recognized abroad. This year, 1300 prominent
representatives of the political, economic
and financial world attended the Forum on
behalf of 20 countries in the region. The
Economic Forum, organized by the
Institute for Eastern Studies, has become
the most prestigious meeting place for the
political and economic elite in the region.
To put it into the words expressed by former Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller; ‘it
grew up to become the regional substitute
for the Davos Economic Forum.’
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XV Economic Forum, Krynica 2005
Krynica’s Forum has not only been an
event, but also a process, in which our
region makes friends with the rest of the
continent. (...) The event, held initially in
camera, grows in importance year by year.
Currently, it is one of the more important
events in the calendar of many Europeans.
And not only Europeans....
The way of Poland to the EU leads not only
via Berlin and Paris, London, Copenhagen
or Brussels. It leads also via Krynica, where
we and our neighbours from the South and
the Baltic have together been growing to
be a part of Europe, and Western Europe
has been growing to accept us in their
group.
Higher economic growth can help in fulfilling the criteria of accession to the euro
zone – stated Deputy Prime Minister Martin
Jahn during the Economic Forum, which is
organized by Poles as their ‘Small Davos’
every year in the spa of Krynica, located
near the border with Slovakia (...) Polish
Minister of Economy Jerzy Hausner, commented in a similar spirit on the topic of
debt repayment during a joint public
debate on the repair of public finances.
Now, when the economy experiences
growth, the situation becomes simpler –
said Hausner. His leftist government has a
similar problem to the Czech cabinet – the
annual debt of the country is around six
percent of GDP. This is double the level
accepted as one of the criteria for introducing the euro.
Richard Mbewe, Chief Economist with Warszawska Grupa Inwestycyjna SA
in a special studio built in the Krynica promenade
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XV Economic Forum, Krynica 2005
There is a new strategy for the European
Union built in Krynica, in the orbit of which
Kazakhstan is placed. (...) Now, when the
majority of the original aims of the
European Union have been realized,
Europe should look in a different light at the
matter of a strategic presence in the
regions outside its area – in Eastern
Europe, the Transcaucasus, the Middle
East and Central Asia.
Recently, the forum has opened more to
cultural problems. Major representatives of
the Church hierarchy have been present,
such as Cardinal Renato Martino, President
of the Pontifical Committee for Justice and
Peace, supervising all the charity activities
of the Church. There were more and higher ranking representatives of the Caucasus
countries, and also Turkey.
Jerzy Buzek
Member of the European Parliament, former Prime Minister of Poland
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XV Economic Forum, Krynica 2005