Foreign Capital in Poland During Recession

The system transformation which started in the last decade of the previous century and the accompanying transition into market oriented economy have contributed to the increase of foreign investors’ interest in committing their capital in Poland. The interest grew even more after Poland joined the European Union. With limited national financial resources and great demand for the same, foreign investment has been a desirable factor supporting and accelerating economic growth. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the changes in the level and structure of foreign capital in Poland in the years 2008–2013, that is during the period of economic downturn following the global financial crisis. The point is, first of all, to find an answer to the following question: to what extent has the economic destabilisation caused by the crisis influenced the decisions of foreign investors concerning investing their capital in Poland? This allows to verify the following scientific hypothesis: during crisis stability of the financial system of the country in which parent companies have their seats is more important for foreign investors than financial security of the host country. The analysis covers total foreign capital, that is both direct and portfolio investment, as well as derivatives and credit facilities. The empirical part of the study has been based on the information published by the National Bank of Poland.