Alona Lebedieva — A Lesson for Ukraine: How Poland Used EU Support

KYIV, UKRAINE, September 22, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Poland demonstrates the fastest GDP growth among 26 EU countries: in 2026 growth is expected to reach 3.3%, and in 2027 — 3.2%. This is twice the average forecast for the European Union (1.4–1.7%). According to Bloomberg, since 2017 the Polish economy has grown by 93% — a figure unmatched by any major European state. The zloty has also strengthened, becoming the most successful currency among emerging markets, while government bonds provided investors with the highest yield among the world’s 50 main issuers.

Alona Lebedieva, the owner of the Ukrainian multi-profile industrial and investment group of companies Aurum Group, believes that this success is explained by a combination of several factors. Domestic demand was supported by the return of Poles from abroad after Brexit, and the rise in household incomes boosted consumption: since 2016, consumer spending has increased by 125%, while in the eurozone on average — by only 40%.

Poland also benefited from stable integration into the common European market, which provided the country with access to capital, technologies, and labor resources.

A separate role was played by financial support from Brussels. From 2004 to 2023, the “net transfer” of funds from the EU budget to Poland amounted to €162 billion — on average about €9 billion annually, equivalent to approximately 1.3% of the country’s current GDP. Of course, EU subsidies were not the main reason for Poland’s success.

“But even if they had played a decisive role, one would have to admit: Poland uses them much more effectively than the former Soviet republics managed their own resource wealth,” emphasizes Alona Lebedieva.

For comparison: this is more than 40 times less than Russia’s average annual revenues from energy exports before the war. But the difference is fundamental: Poland uses these resources to develop infrastructure and the economy, while Russia spent its natural rent on consumption and war.

“Therefore, Poland’s growth is not a miracle, but the result of a combination of internal reforms, EU support, and effective financial management. It is no surprise that the country has become something of a Brussels favorite: European subsidies work there, instead of dissolving in corruption schemes,” Lebedieva concludes.

This is an important lesson for Ukraine as well: the key is not only to receive external assistance, but also to use it in such a way that every euro works for long-term development.

Alona Lebedieva
Aurum Group
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