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Having
spent time in Poland, it has erased many of the stereotypes I held previously
of Polish people, culture and their way of life. I have found that the people
here are resilient and work hard to maintain a good standard of living.
Emerging from the devastation of World War Two and communism, it is seeking to
become a relevant part of Europe. Euro 2012 is a picture of this emergence
which will bring its positives and negatives to the city of Poznań.
The
main advantage of hosting Euro 2012 is that it puts Poland on the map.
Currently Poznań would not be the most popular tourist destination however, the
country has invested a great deal of money ‘redecorating’ the cities: Warsaw,
Gdansk, Wroclaw, Krakow and Poznań to look more aesthetically pleasing by
improving the infrastructure and helping the economy.
“The
total cost of Poland’s key and important infrastructure projects for EURO 2012
is PLN 80bn. As for financing structure, around 60-70% of investments funds
come from the state budget. The remaining 30% of funds are allocated by the
local authorities. In total terms, 40% of all funds allocated for EURO 2012
come from the European Union.” Poland Consulting
Services (2012)
During
Euro 2012 Poznan will host four countries: Ireland, Italy, Spain and Croatia. I
have already started to see the start of the expected thirty thousand Irish fans travelling to Poznań and I have enjoyed
hearing accents I am more familiar with!
(Figure taken from http://www.sundayworld.com/columnists/index.php)
Euro 2012 will provide an opportunity
for healthy competition. There have been many conflicts in Europe including
wars. Hopefully this sporting opportunity will also promote Poland’s self
confidence, being one of the top football teams in Europe, giving them a sense
of pride and self worth.
"Organising this event gives us a chance to speed up development
and modernisation of the country... It is also a chance to improve our brand -
the image of the country." Wilson, B. (2012)
On the other hand, although Euro 2012 is
seen to be facilitating progress, there are worldwide questions to whether
these countries are ready to host such a prestigious event after recent acts of
racism, prejudice, and bigotry in the Ukraine and parts of Poland. Reflecting
on previous blogs on visiting concentration camps, Poland’s history; World War
Two and then Communism and now these recent crimes have left the question, are
they ready to move forward? Like Northern Ireland, it seems Poland is ready for
change however; it is a minority who try to take matters into their own hands
and cause problems. For Poland to become more significant in the world, change
has to start somewhere, and hopefully Euro 2012 is a stepping stone towards it.
Even though there have been criticisms
and drawbacks I wish Poland good luck! I have never been interested in football
however, living in Poland and having it hosted within the city I have been
living created a real excitement for me. I even got a Polish football shirt to
cheer for them!
References:
·
Poland Consulting Services (2012)
·
Sunday World: A Real Irish Sunday – Fan We Do It? Yes We Can. (2012)
·
Wilson, B. (2012) Poland
eyes Euro 2012 football cash boost, BBC News, Manchester
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