Poland’s Brexit-hating Prime Minister Donald Tusk claims Poles will be richer than Brits by 2030 because ‘it’s better to be in the EU’

Poland’s Brexit-hating Prime Minister Donald Tusk claims Poles will be richer than Brits by 2030 because ‘it’s better to be in the EU’.

In Wednesday’s bold statement, Tusk, 67, pledged to accelerate the country’s economic growth, potentially leading to a higher GDP per capita than Britain’s post-Brexit within just five years.

The Polish Prime Minister chaired the European Council during the Brexit negotiations and was known for his extreme criticism of the decision to leave the EU.

“A fierce debate is taking place in Britain, triggered by the World Bank’s forecast that GDP per capita in Poland will be higher than in Britain in 2025,” Tusk said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

‘And I promise: on the 25th anniversary, the Poles will be richer than the British. It is better to be in the European Union,” he added, underscoring his strong belief in the benefits of EU membership.

His statement comes as Poland celebrates twenty years since joining the EU, a period that has seen significant economic growth and development.

According to data from the Ministry of Finance, Poland’s GDP has almost doubled since the country joined the EU in 2004.

The Polish Institute of Economics reports that the country’s GDP is now as much as 40 percent higher than it would have been if it had not become a member of the European Union.

Last year, British Labor Party analysts noted that if current trends continue, Britain’s GDP would be around £480 lower than that of Poland within five years.

Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labor Party, stressed that while Britain was lagging behind, its European neighbors, including Poland, were becoming more prosperous.

He pointed to World Bank data from 2010 to 2021 showing that GDP per capita in 2021 was £35,935 in Britain and £27,894 in Poland.

This showed an average economic growth of 0.5 percent for Great Britain and 3.6 percent for Poland.

According to the calculations, this would mean that Poland would overtake the United Kingdom by 2030.

Sir Keir warned: ‘The British people are being left behind, while our European neighbors are getting richer, both in the east and in countries such as France and Germany.

‘I don’t feel comfortable with that; they are not comfortable with a trajectory that will soon see Britain overtaken by Poland.

“I am also not prepared to accept what the consequences of this failure would mean.”

Tusk claimed his second stint as prime minister – a job he left to become president of the European Council in December 2014 – during last year’s Polish general election.

During a trip to Brussels in 2019, Tusk sparked anger when he said there is a “special place in hell” for people who push for Brexit without a plan.

Tusk’s bold claim comes just a week after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Poland to meet with Tusk for talks on aid to Ukraine.

In a joint speech, the Tory leader and the Polish prime minister said ‘we are long-term allies’, following a pledge of £500 million in military aid to Ukraine by the British government.

“We in Britain will never forget that it was Polish pilots who gave their lives to protect our country in the Battle of Britain,” they said.

“And today we are proud to stand together as NATO allies. Two of the largest military powers in Europe. Two of Ukraine’s truest friends.’

Sunak added: ‘And across Europe, I think Poland and Britain are part of a growing wave of countries taking greater responsibility for our collective security.

‘Poland spends a greater share of its GDP on defense than any NATO ally in Europe.

“And with today’s announcement, Britain will spend more money than any NATO ally in Europe.”