Highlighting Poland’s economic strength and supporting the expansion of Polish companies into global markets are among the opportunities that, according to experts from the Sobieski Institute, Poland’s presence in the G20 could create. Poland has been invited to the upcoming summit in Miami as a guest, but the country also intends to seek permanent membership in the group. Experts stress that this could also become an opportunity to strengthen the position of Central and Eastern Europe on the international stage. The authors of the report “Poland in the G20 – This Is Only the Beginning” propose, among other things, the creation of a new regional development bank.
The G20 currently includes 19 countries from around the world and two unions: the European Union and the African Union. Together, they account for 85% of global GDP and 75% of world trade.
“Following the President’s invitation to the G20, Poland’s situation is very promising. This is a major opportunity and a distinction not only for Polish citizens, but also for the economy. As the Chancellery of the President, we would like to use it, first of all, to promote the vision of Poland as a country that is a good place to invest, but also one where life is good,” Karol Rabenda, Undersecretary of State at the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, told Newseria.
The next summit will take place in December 2026 in Miami, Florida. On 3 September 2025, during a meeting at the White House, President Karol Nawrocki received an invitation to the summit from Donald Trump, President of the United States, whose country assumed the G20 presidency in December 2025. Poland’s participation was also mentioned in a statement by Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State, who stressed that this would allow the country to take its rightful place.
“Poland’s economy is already large enough to deserve to be part of this group. It is also, to a large extent, a political decision, but simply being present in the G20 should help increase not only our prestige, but also our ability to influence global affairs. If we were a permanent member, we could fight for the interests of Poland and the region on the international stage,” Karol Rabenda emphasizes.
Experts from the Sobieski Institute, in their report “Poland in the G20 – This Is Only the Beginning,” citing International Monetary Fund data, state that Poland’s GDP in 2026 will amount to USD 1.04 trillion. This would place the country 20th in the world, just behind Saudi Arabia, and would also put it in the unofficial “trillion-dollar club.”
“Economic issues will be an important topic at the upcoming summit. Poland has a great deal to be proud of. Over the past decades, we have made enormous progress in the development of our economy and Polish companies, but also in the quality of our workforce, which is praised and sought after everywhere. Poles know how to work well, invest well, and develop their country. We would like to promote this tremendous success at the G20 summit,” says the Undersecretary of State at the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland.
As Radosław Sikorski said during the Future Finance Summit in November 2025, Poland’s cumulative nominal GDP growth since 1990 amounted to 1,366%. Over the same period, developed economies expanded 3.5 times.
“It is also worth noting that Poland is becoming an increasingly important political partner with each passing year. This is, of course, linked to the war in Ukraine, the broader security architecture, and changing geopolitics. However, the strength of our economy also entitles us to be, first, taken into account in the global balance of power, and second, to have our voice carry more weight,” Karol Rabenda points out.
According to experts from the Sobieski Institute, Poland, like few other countries, understands the imperial culture of a powerful neighbour, having experienced it in various forms throughout most of its history. After Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Poland became a frontline state, and its experiences have gained importance in discussions about international stability, sanctions, and energy security.
“The G20 is an opportunity to demonstrate the strength of the Polish economy and support Polish companies in their expansion. They are already present worldwide, but the G20 is a chance for them, together with the President’s or government delegation, to participate in various meetings with partners from this group in different formats, not necessarily at the main table, but wherever discussions about the G20 are taking place,” says Leszek Skiba, President of the Sobieski Institute.
The analysts stress in their report that Poland’s presence in the G20 could serve as a tool to promote the country in non-European markets, including the Global South, which still account for only a small share of Polish exports. Around 80% of Polish exports go to EU markets, mainly Germany. In many countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, the status of a G20 state and political patronage open doors that remain closed to countries perceived solely as medium-sized European Union members.
“Today we are invited to the G20 as a guest, but the President’s ambition is for us to become a permanent member as a representative of Central and Eastern Europe. We could represent various common interests, not only historical, but also economic. We are an economy of such a size that in this group we could be not only a leader, but in a sense also an advocate for the region,” Karol Rabenda underlines.
“It is important to present the perspective of Central Europe and highlight the unique experiences linked to a war that is taking place very close to our region. Poland in the G20 is also there to tell the world about the importance of Central Europe to the whole world,” Leszek Skiba believes.
So far, Central and Eastern Europe has not been represented in the G20. As the largest and wealthiest country in the region, Poland could become its voice. Its presence would increase the influence of this part of the continent on global decisions. In the opinion of the report’s authors, Poland also has globally unique experience related to initiating systemic transformation in the region, building energy security, and shaping relations with Russia throughout its history.
“Regional cooperation in Central Europe could result in deeper integration, which would help address various challenges: infrastructure, economic development, and perhaps also cooperation between defence industries,” explains the President of the Sobieski Institute.
To this end, experts from the Sobieski Institute recommend the creation of a Central and Eastern European G20 Development Bank. It would focus on infrastructure investments in the region and, in the future, on the reconstruction and modernisation of Ukraine. The advantage of such an institution would be its ability to make rapid investment decisions and operate in a task-oriented manner. The bank would also provide greater regional “ownership” of projects, both in terms of strategic interest and economic benefits.
“The concept of creating a regional bank analogous to the European Investment Bank was developed so that cooperation, which had previously taken the form of the Three Seas Initiative or Intermarium, could gain a very concrete institutional solution — a bank that would support various infrastructure projects, economic cooperation in energy, as well as the defence industry. This initiative is being widely discussed today as a way to finance joint ventures, monitor them, and mobilise countries to work together for integration,” Leszek Skiba explains.
The authors of the concept stress that all G20 countries, as well as those to which Donald Trump extended invitations to the newly established Peace Council, would be invited to join the Central and Eastern European Development Bank, with the exception of Russia and Belarus, which remain under sanctions. The initial capital is expected to amount to EUR 5 billion, of which around 20% would be paid in cash contributions spread over several years, with the remainder as callable capital.
“Regional banks, economic banks, or international investment banks are based on the principle that their members contribute capital and then, proportionally to that contribution and the strength of the state, hold shares in them. Poland would be one of the bank’s members. Naturally, it would be important for its voice to be heard and for it to become one of the key partners. The question is which countries, besides Poland, would join it. We encourage a detailed analysis of this solution,” stresses the President of the Sobieski Institute.
