Mateusz Szczurek: 'Best CEE finance minister'

Mateusz Szczurek: photo - Finance Ministry

The Polish minister of finance received the award, presented by the editorial team of Emerging Markets, on Saturday. He was in New York to attend an International Monetary Fund meeting.

Economists who contributed to his recognition stressed his solid background. Szczurek was described as a “safe pair of hands” in difficult economic times for Poland by William Jackson, emerging market economist at Capital Economics.

“Confidence is back, no one doubts Poland’s financial mix and the economy is looking pretty good,” said Charles Robertson, global chief economist at Renaissance Capital. “Looking ahead over the next 12 months, I have concerns about many leading countries across emerging Europe, including Russia, but none about Poland. He’s done a good solid job.”

The minister himself said that this could be the last award of this kind for Poland as the country has “practically left the emerging markets group.” In terms of economic growth, it can still be labelled emerging but in terms of financial and debt markets, it is “growing out of this name.”

Szczurek's term as a minister started in November 2013 when he replaced Jacek Rostowski in the government of Donald Tusk. He was nominated again for the post when Ewa Kopacz took over as prime minister in September this year.

Before joining the government, he was chief CEE economist at ING Group. He studied at the University of Warsaw and the University of Sussex, where he obtained a PhD in 2005.

In 2012, then Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski was also a recipient of the Finance Minister of the Year Central & Eastern Europe award. (kw/pg)

Sources: IAR, Emerging Markets