The Economic Forum. A unique time for a debate

The way in which a pandemic can turn plans upside down is evident not only in the global economy and social life, but also from our perspective in Krynica, or rather, in Karpacz.

Aktualizacja: 03.09.2021 15:43 Publikacja: 08.09.2020 08:00

Bogusław Chrabota

Bogusław Chrabota

Foto: Fotorzepa/Maciej Zieniewicz

This is because the Forum, which for almost three decades took place in one of the most beautiful resorts in the Beskid Sądecki mountains and which became so closely associated with it that the name "Krynica" became a part of everyday language, for the first time in its long history had to be moved to another, though no less picturesque, part of Poland. You could even call it a geographical miracle: within a few weeks, Krynica moved to Karpacz.

I use the word miracle for good reason, because organizing a Forum in the middle of a pandemic really borders on the miraculous. Especially since, until recently, we were wondering whether the Forum would take place at all. Would we manage to deal with the organizational, health and safety, and financial issues? Would – most importantly – the participants dare to come?

And yet the Forum is taking place. In a different form, in a different reality, in the shadow of the magical Śnieżka mountain, which is particularly beautiful at this time of the year. Among familiar faces and probably with no less success than in previous years.

And we definitely have something to debate about. Because the pandemic – the black swan of the global economy with unforeseen power – has destroyed many stereotypes previously accepted at face value. It has undermined the power of globalization, exposed the weakness of economies tied to long supply chains, and restored the importance of thinking about the role of state intervention and the power of protectionism. Could this be the end of the global free market as we know it? Or is it just the opposite? Does the market itself need to generate new self-regulation mechanisms that can withstand the risks arising from a pandemic? We still don't know.

And yet it's not all about the economy. The pandemic has intensified political conflicts. It has awakened autocratic longings. Isolationism. The illusion of autarky. Moreover, many politicians are cynically using the pandemic to implement long-made and not always safe plans. The pandemic is the perfect cover. People are interested in something else. They are fighting for their lives.

In our part of the world, the pandemic coincided with a civil uprising in Belarus. After the rigged elections, Belarusians took to the streets, and Alexander Lukashenko resorted to violence – all in the immediate vicinity of the Polish border. Almost at the gates of Polish cities. How should we respond to this confrontation? How can we support our Belarusian brothers and sisters? How can we be a worthy advocate for the people of Minsk towards Europe and the world? These are the next big questions that we will be looking to answer at the Forum.

As you can see, there are a great many topics, and the need for a robust debate is ever clearer. Over the course of its history, Krynica has time and again helped us to find the answers to the challenges of the day. I believe that Karpacz will more than fulfil this role in a time which desperately needs a serious and responsible conversation about the future.

This is because the Forum, which for almost three decades took place in one of the most beautiful resorts in the Beskid Sądecki mountains and which became so closely associated with it that the name "Krynica" became a part of everyday language, for the first time in its long history had to be moved to another, though no less picturesque, part of Poland. You could even call it a geographical miracle: within a few weeks, Krynica moved to Karpacz.

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