Economical and social consequences of Poland’s membership in the European Union

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to study and analyse the features of the development of social and economic sphere of Poland’s Republic economy after acquiring membership in the European Union. The experience of the socioeconomic development of the Republic of Poland in the early years of EU membership is extremely valuable for Ukraine, given its intention to join the European community, and its scientific analysis is especially relevant in the context of current trends. In accordance with the purpose, the dynamics of the main macroeconomic indicators in the country during 2003–2016 were considered and analyzed. It was found that during the entire period of Polish Republic membership in the EU, there was a strengthening of economic activity of the population, the growth of exports and a reduction in the foreign trade deficit, an increase in the inflow of foreign direct investment, primarily from the countries of the European Union, an increase in the large financial injections into the economy of the country from the EU. All this, in turn, led to the improvement of the country's macroeconomic indicators, in particular to the growth of GDP and GDP per capita and the improvement in the living standards of Polish citizens, reflected in the increase in real incomes of the population. And as the main result - an increase in the index of human development. The main problems of social and economic development after the accession to the EU have been identified, most of which are the problem of unemployment and increasing labor migration.