Human development index (HDI), an index based on life expectancy, education and GDP (max. 1)
0.834
World rank in HDI
35
Key economic sectors (% of GDP in 2002)
Trade, restaurants and hotels (17.1); finance and real estate (16.6); manufacturing, (16.6); services (11.1); construction (6.2); transport and communications ( 6.1) (2011)
Leading Companies
Bank Pekao (US$12·7bn.); PKO Bank (US$11·2bn.); and PZU Group, an insurance company (US$11·1bn.)
Unemployment in 2014
8%
Main religious denominations (numbers in millions)
Roman Catholics (33.69m); Polish Orthodox (0.5m); Protestants (0.16m)
Political system
Semi-presidential system: The President is elected for a five-year term, and may appoint his/her own cabinet. The President can veto legislation (but not the budget) made by the parliament, to which there are elections every four years. A 100-member Senate also has the power of veto over proposed legislation.
Electoral system
Proportional representation for parliament; two-ballot majoritarian system for presidential elections
Current (March 2010) leaders
President: Andrzej Duda (b.1972), since May 2015 Prime Minister: Beata Szydlo (b.1963), since November 2015
Previous leaders:
Presidents: Lech Kaczynski (2005-2011); Aleksander Kwasniewski (1995-2005); Lech Walesa (1990-1995) Prime Ministers: Donald Tusk (2007-2011); Jaroslaw Kaczynski (2006-2007); Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz (2005-2006)
Joined the EU/EC
2004
Commissioner from country in Barroso II College of Commissioners, and portfolio
Janusz Lewandowski (Budget and Financial Programming), Jacek Dominik (Budget and Financial Programming)
Number of MEPs
51
Turnout in 2014 EP elections (%)
23.8% (24.5% in 2009)
Member of eurozone
No
Except where a specific reference is inserted, the sources for this profile are either Neill Nugent’s book itself, or Barry Turner (ed.), The Statesman’s Yearbook Online, Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. If your library subscribes, you can gain access at http://www.statesmansyearbook.com
