Poland is now seen in the European Union as a credible partner and one of the fastest-growing economies in the bloc. However, maintaining that position in the new phase of integration will require greater involvement from entrepreneurs in the EU legislative process. According to representatives of the Lewiatan Confederation, the voice of business is still not being heard strongly enough.
“Poland’s position in Europe is strong. We are a credible partner and a major economy. This has been recognised — we have stable economic growth, and our partners in the European Union ask what lies behind our success,” Kinga Grafa, Deputy Director General for European Affairs at the Lewiatan Confederation, head of the organisation’s Brussels office and permanent representative to BusinessEurope, told Newseria news agency.
Poland is appearing increasingly often in international analyses as an example of successful economic transformation. Last year, the country joined the group of the world’s 20 largest economies. For the first time, Poland’s GDP exceeded $1 trillion, while the economy expanded by a solid 3.6%.
“The European Union has certainly played a major role in that success. This includes the funds we received over many years, which made it possible to modernise the country, the economy, and institutions, but also our entrepreneurial spirit and our ability to adapt to difficult conditions. A perfect example is how we emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic as a country — entrepreneurs did not lay off workers as often as in the West, and they managed to retain their staff,” says Kinga Grafa. “Now, as a new stage of integration begins in the European Union, and other issues such as defence, security and resilience become more important, we have to answer the question of how to turn our current strong position into lasting success.”
Three high-profile reports in recent years have confirmed the need to change the EU agenda. Mario Draghi’s report placed the competitiveness of the European economy at the centre of debate, Enrico Letta’s report emphasised the need to strengthen the single market, and Sauli Niinistö’s report focused on the EU’s preparedness and resilience in times of crisis. According to experts, the new EU agenda will increasingly combine security with competitiveness. This means that for Polish companies, it will no longer be only the traditional areas of the single market that matter, but also regulations concerning supply chain resilience, industry, energy and defence. This was also reflected in the agenda of Poland’s presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2025, which was held under the slogan “Security, Europe!” and focused on seven dimensions of security, including economic security.
“In many areas, Poland was able to recognise threats earlier than others, whether in the context of Russia, defence or excessive regulation. What is missing, however, is the participation of companies in the legislative process,” the expert said during the spring edition of the European Forum for New Ideas. “The European Union is changing rapidly, and competitiveness and resilience are now at the centre of attention. We need to be in the front row when it comes to seeking common solutions for Europe. We are underrepresented in Brussels, and too few companies come here to speak about the issues that matter to them.”
The Lewiatan Confederation itself maintains a permanent office in Brussels and operates within the structures of BusinessEurope, stressing that being present at the early stages of legislative work is just as important for business as commenting on final regulations later on.
“I often say that the cost of inaction — of not taking part in a legislative process, of not presenting our proposals — will be higher than the cost of getting involved,” Kinga Grafa points out. “We need to explain to companies that the EU is us, not something external. We have an influence on what happens in it, but we need to engage and present our own solutions. Only then do we have a chance to sit in the front row and help steer the European Union.”
As she emphasises, in competition with the United States or China, it is primarily the European Union as a common market of 27 countries — not individual capitals — that has a real chance to compete. That is why building Poland’s influence in Brussels also means strengthening its voice in international relations.
“This is still not sufficiently appreciated in the European Union, and it is something we all need to work on — not only Poland, but in fact all member states,” says the Deputy Director General of the Lewiatan Confederation for European Affairs.
