Nothing infuriates me more than foreigners romanticising my country, Poland. With Poland’s economic growth and the rising popularity of Slavic culture and conservative values, more and more people have started to view it as an Eden where 'normality' is still preserved. I can understand where this idealisation comes from. Western countries, once considered the best places to go for better job opportunities and new ideas, are no longer seen as quite so attractive. So people feel the need to find a new obsession.
At least once a month I hear someone say, “I would love to live in Poland – everything is so cheap and clean there!” And while my Polish side swells with pride – because there’s nothing more heartwarming than hearing your native country praised – it also makes me disappointed how shallow that impression is. Because yes, it might be cheap for you, but only if you visit us with a wallet full of euros. For Poles earning in PLN, prices are unbelievably high. This links to problems in the job market, which obviously has its flaws. Everyone thinks they’ll come to Poland, find a nice position and earn so much money they can buy up half the flats in Warsaw. Well, it might not be as easy as you think. Even Poles themselves struggle to find jobs, let alone decently paid jobs rather than exploitative work. And while it may be a bit easier to secure something in bigger cities, in international companies, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Poland is not just Warsaw and Kraków. Most of the country consists of smaller towns and villages, where the job market is much tougher. And your knowledge of English will certainly not help you there. In fact, you need to understand that, as welcoming a nation as we may seem to be, we can actually be quite closed-off. Without knowledge of the Polish language, you risk being completely excluded.
However, I’m not trying to discourage you from trying your luck in Poland. As long as you are legally allowed to live and work in the country, you are more than welcome. But I advise you to do your research and think it through – the reality may not live up to the paradise you have in mind.
Rita Wiśniewska, a third-year European Law student.