Governments across Europe are having to weigh their finances against demand from voters and companies for government help through the downturn. But not in Poland, where the government has offered relatively little help but hasn't suffered a political backlash. That's a testament both to Poland's relative economic strength during the downturn and a cultural shift as a more business-friendly generation comes of age.
Poland's government hasn't ratcheted up spending significantly amid the downturn, according to Eurostat. As a percentage of GDP, government spending was at 43% in the second quarter of 2009, slightly higher than a decade low of 40.1% in the fourth quarter of 2007 but lower than 50.1% in Hungary, 58.7% in Greece and 55% in Finland. Since the second quarter, the latest Eurostat data available, Poland's ratio may have edged down as economic growth has picked up.
Read more:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703699204575016912721920660.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
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