It's all kicking off (or not)

In June the best European players will run out onto football pitches in Poland and Ukraine - the joint hosts of the UEFA Euro 2012 football championships. This is a reason for joy, but at the same time it has presented us with an onerous task. For the Polish economy it does, however, offer an excellent incentive for development. Analysts estimate that Poland is to spend app. PLN 150 bln on all its preparations for the event, which constitutes 15 pct of the country's GDP. No wonder we are pinning our hopes on a substantial return on this investment. The construction, catering and tourist industries will certainly be among those to benefit from the event. Much has already been said about the organisation of Euro 2012 - but mostly in a negative context. Out of all 43 motorway projects planned, 7 have been completed, 10 are at risk, 11 might be finished on time and 15 will not be carried out at all. At the end of February, the government pushed through an emergency measure to provide enoug