How corruption is driving Eastern Europe’s brain drain

That's why joining the EU was horrible in retrospect. It would have been great without free labor movement

For the country - perhaps? For individuals who would otherwise have a much harder time escaping from the idiocies you yourself mentioned:

In Poland current government plans about ~50% for the 'rich' (ie. close to average wage in Germany).

the free movement is a godsend.

The educated get to migrate to the western countries and live a comfortable life.

The uneducated, who decided to put their trust in the current government, push all the legislation they desire - increasing income tax for "the wealthy", lowering retirement age, introducing all kinds of new benefits (some already in there, some in the pipeline) that Poland cannot afford.

If not for the EU, I'd be either trapped in Poland or at the very least have a harder time to escape from that sinking ship. I'm sad that it's sinking, but it'd sink anyway, whether in the EU or not. EU at least provides some lifeboats.

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