The article credits Poland’s success to market reforms that emphasized private ownership and foreign investment after the fall of communism, as well as to its strong integration within the EU while maintaining its own currency.

Recent domestic policies have also helped retain young talent, with lower taxes for workers under 26 and a thriving tech and manufacturing sector drawing many Poles back from abroad.

“Never mind catching up: in some ways Poland is already ahead. The country has faster mobile internet, cheaper electricity and more high-speed rail,” the report concludes.