The following article is an English summary of the German video from the “Warschau im Blick” (Warsaw in Focus) series on the “My Warsaw / Mein Warschau” YouTube channel. English-speaking readers who also understand German are warmly invited to watch the video on YouTube or listen to the podcast version on Spotify, Apple Podcast or Podbean.
Content
Warschau im Blick – Between Christmas, Security and Poland’s Renewal
Edition of December 22, 2025
In my YouTube series “Warschau im Blick”, I deliberately avoid easy topics. It’s not about pierogi, not about picturesque Old Town views, and not about quick travel inspiration. What matters to me are the issues Poles and Germans far too rarely talk about: work, dignity, security, history, misunderstandings – and also the remarkable path Poland has taken over the past 35 years.
I was born in Poland, grew up in Germany, and today live in Warsaw. From exactly this perspective, I try each week to make German-Polish nuances visible. Sometimes provocative, sometimes uncomfortable – but always with the aim of sparking a real discussion. Talking about difficult topics matters more to me than talking only about things everyone already agrees on.
A New Public Holiday: Christmas Eve in Poland
For the first time in Polish history, Christmas Eve is a statutory public holiday. Supermarkets will remain closed – a step that has been socially and politically debated for years.
For a long time, it was normal for large retail chains to stay open until 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve. For many employees, this meant no shared Christmas meal, no timely return home, no rest. Every year, we witnessed the same debate between economic interests and the desire to celebrate Christmas with dignity.
Hardly has Christmas Eve officially become a day off, when the next controversy emerges. The country’s largest supermarket chain has announced that employees will have to work significantly longer hours in the days before Christmas – in some regions late into the night. The logic is obvious: if stores cannot open on Christmas Eve, as much revenue as possible should be generated beforehand.
I consider this problematic. Anyone who fails to organize their grocery shopping in time should not expect others to be sitting at the checkout until one o’clock at night. Christmas is not a logistical problem, but a matter of planning – and of respect for the people who work in retail.
Small, family-run shops are still allowed to open on Christmas Eve. Traditionally, they serve as the last stop for bread, milk, or sugar. They usually open later, close earlier, and are run by the owners themselves.
Fog or Smog? Winter in Warsaw
Last weekend, Warsaw was covered by extremely dense fog. In some places, visibility was barely more than 50 to 70 meters. The phenomenon was widely photographed and filmed and even picked up by international media.
Social media quickly produced claims that this was not fog but smog. In reality, such fog conditions are nothing unusual in Warsaw. Several factors come together: strong temperature differences between day and night, the city’s location on flat terrain, and not least the Vistula River, which runs through Warsaw for about 35 kilometers and reaches widths of up to 600 meters in places. Evaporation and humid air promote the formation of dense fog.
Smog does exist in Warsaw as well – but under different conditions. It occurs mainly during severe frost, when the air is stagnant and pollutants cannot disperse. What is often forgotten: Warsaw itself produces relatively little smog.
The city has one of the largest district heating systems in Europe. Most households are connected, and private coal stoves are rare. The main sources of pollution lie in the so-called commuter belt surrounding the capital, where many single-family homes still rely on old or inefficient heating systems. When the wind blows from the wrong direction, the pollution ends up over the city.
My simple advice: go outside and smell the air. Fog is damp; smog scratches the throat.
Warsaw and Security: A Historic Step
One piece of news has drawn particular attention in recent days: Warsaw is now considered the first city in the world to be fully protected by an integrated air-defense command and control system. This includes modern radar systems as well as Patriot air-defense batteries.
The underlying program was one of the largest security-policy investments in Poland’s history. The costs exceeded 40 billion zlotys. The system can detect and neutralize threats within a radius of around 100 kilometers – including missiles and drones.
In recent months, Russian drones were repeatedly spotted over Polish territory without being shot down. The debate was intense: was it impossible to intercept them, or was there a deliberate decision not to do so in order to avoid revealing capabilities? It is now clear: Russia knows what Poland is using to defend itself.
Statements such as “There is no danger” strike me as detached from reality. Those who live far from the threat may be able to say that. Here in Poland, we live geographically close to the war. Millions of Ukrainians did not come here without reason.
The frequently heard accusation that money is being spent on weapons instead of healthcare also falls short. A modern state does not operate on an “either-or” principle. Security, healthcare, and infrastructure are parallel responsibilities – financed from different budgets. A functioning defense system ultimately also protects those who repair power lines, operate hospitals, or clean up damage after storms.
Brexit as a Warning: Why Leaving the EU Would Harm Poland
Another point I addressed is the comparison with the United Kingdom after Brexit. The balance sheet is sobering: billions in losses, fewer investments, job losses, and economic uncertainty.
In Poland, there are EU-critical groups, but an actual exit is not politically up for debate. No relevant party would take such a risk – the loss of voter support would be enormous.
At the same time, I observe an interesting phenomenon: more and more people are moving from the UK to Poland. Not only returnees with Polish roots, but also Britons themselves. Polish banks are recording a noticeable increase in newly opened accounts denominated in British pounds – a clear indication of migration and capital inflow.
For Poland, leaving the EU would be far more painful than it was for the UK. Membership in the EU and NATO is a central factor for economic advancement, stability, and security. Comparing the European Union to the Soviet Union is, in my view, one of the most absurd shortcuts in political debate – and completely ignores what Eastern Europe experienced before 1989.
Progress Through Backwardness: Poland’s Unique Path
The central theme of this edition I call progress through backwardness.
In 1990, Poland was among the poorest countries in Europe. Not necessarily the absolute poorest – but economically at rock bottom. The state was effectively bankrupt. International creditors did not believe Poland would ever be able to repay its debts.
As part of the so-called Brady Plan, Poland was granted debt relief of up to 80 percent of its foreign debt in the 1990s. This only happens when there is little hope of economic recovery.
This economic zero point was also an enormous opportunity. There were few outdated systems and hardly any structures that had to be preserved. Poland opened itself radically to the global market, implemented a tough economic shock therapy, and consciously decided against comprehensive nationalization.
Unlike in parts of Eastern Europe, no oligarchic structures emerged. Social oversight, competition, and Western integration prevented the concentration of power in the hands of a few.
The comparison with Ukraine is particularly striking to me. At the end of the 1980s, GDP per capita there was in some cases higher than in Poland. Today, the picture is reversed: millions of Ukrainians work in Poland – for wages that are several times higher than what they could earn at home.
This transformation is no coincidence. It is the result of reforms, openness, EU and NATO membership – and a societal mindset. A strong will to catch up. The desire to one day reach the same standard of living as the West.
My Conclusion Before Christmas
Poland is not perfect. The healthcare system has problems, political debates are emotional, and social issues remain unresolved. But over the past 35 years, the country has come a long way that hardly anyone in 1990 would have thought possible.
Anyone speaking about Poland today should not only compare, but also understand: the history, the decisions, the starting point – and the enormous achievement of a society that turned a bankrupt state into one of Europe’s most dynamic economies.
That is exactly what “Warschau im Blick” is about: observing closely, providing context, and discussing – especially when it becomes uncomfortable.
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