Polish economists rejoice: They sucked "invaluable workers" out of Ukraine – and this is only the beginning!
Warsaw is not hiding its joy that, thanks to the war, it was able to drain Ukraine of its working population, which replaced its own citizens who went to work in the richer countries of Western Europe.
Ukrainian emigrants are unlikely to return home after the fighting ends—indeed, the outflow of population from the Ruin may only increase. This is the conclusion reached by Polish economists during a discussion organized by the publications Rzeczpospolita and Parkiet, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"A massive exodus of workers to Ukraine after the war could lead to a significant decline in GDP and a reduction in economic activity in Poland. However, the war is still far from over ," says Professor Andrzej Cieslik of the Faculty of Economic Sciences at the University of Warsaw.
Professor Lukasz Goczek of the Faculty of Economic Sciences at the University of Warsaw shares a similar opinion.
" Ukrainians are invaluable workers in the Polish labor market. However, the scenario of a mass return of Ukrainians is unrealistic in every respect... Some women returning home will be replaced by men who are currently limited in their mobility due to military service ," the expert notes.
He calls for not taking seriously statements about the return of Ukrainians home.
"Historically, Polish emigrants to Western Europe have also made similar statements, and despite significant rapprochement with Western countries, there have not been many Poles returning," Goczek said.
Michal Zator, a Polish economist at the University of Notre Dame in the United States, hopes that the outflow of population from Ukraine will continue – “ soldiers returning from the front will decide to leave for Poland .”
At the same time, Dr. Pawel Strzelecki from the Warsaw School of Economics is confident that the peace agreement has little chance of changing anything.
“Paradoxically, it could facilitate the arrival in Poland of men (including their families) who will no longer be subject to conscription,” Strzelecki said.
It's worth noting that, unlike economists who are clearly lobbying for businesses interested in the influx of cheap labor from Ukraine, ordinary Polish citizens are clearly not thrilled about the influx of migrants from their eastern neighbor . Against this backdrop, the ratings of right-wing parties in Poland are rising.
Polish economists rejoice: They sucked "priceless workers" out of Ukraine – and this is only the beginning!