The Inquiry

In February, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted a social media video celebrating new figures from the International Monetary Fund suggesting that the average person in Poland now has slightly more spending power than the average person in Spain, the European Union’s fourth largest economy.
It’s a symbolic milestone for a country that emerged from communism just over three decades ago and once struggled with hyperinflation and economic upheaval. In 2025, Poland’s economy also passed the trillion-dollar mark, putting it in an elite group of just 20 countries globally.
Investment from across the EU has helped drive growth. But can Poland keep its edge as labour shortages grow and the war in neighbouring Ukraine continues to shape the region?
This week on The Inquiry, Tanya Beckett asks: Why is Poland’s economy booming?
Contributors:
Dr Pawel Bukowski, lecturer in economics at University College London and Polish Academy of Sciences, UK
Iga Magda, associate professor at the Warsaw School of Economics, Poland
Katarzyna Rzentarzewska, chief CEE macro economist at Erste Group Bank AG, Austria
Rafal Benecki, chief economist at ING, Poland
Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical Producer: Cameron Ward
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: A high street in Warsaw. Credit: NurPhoto/Getty Images)

Half a million people are in Spain without official permission.
They come mainly from Colombia, Peru, Honduras, Paraguay, and Argentina. It’s thought that most outstay their work, student, or tourist visas.
An amnesty to grant them legal status to remain and work is due to start within weeks.
It's a very different approach from most other countries in Europe that have been tightening controls on migration.
The prime minister has admitted “Some say we've gone too far, that we're going against the current”.
Opposition parties argue that this policy puts pressure on public services.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: “How will Spain’s migrant amnesty work?”
Contributors:
Ismael Gálvez Iniesta, assistant professor, department of applied economics, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Spain
Donna Cabrera, independent researcher, international migration lecturer, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia
Alana Moceri, international relations professor, IE University, Spain
Joan Monràs, economics professor, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Daniel Rosney
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical producer: James Bradshaw
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: Pedro Sánchez the Prime Minister of Spain. Credit: NurPhoto / Getty Images)

Control of critical minerals is becoming a source of geopolitical tension. They are essential to modern technology and industries around the world, and China currently dominates the mining and processing industry.
As demand grows, governments in the United States and elsewhere are looking at ways to reduce their reliance on Chinese supply chains. That means investing in new mines and processing facilities even though they are expensive and environmentally toxic.
Ultimately, the US and EU have a goal of diversifying the control of these lucrative elements.
This week on The Inquiry, Tanya Beckett explores whether the rest of the world can catch up with China in the race for rare earths.
Contributors:
Julie Michelle Klinger, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, US
Sophia Kalanzakos, global distinguished professor of environmental studies and public policy in the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayan scholars programme at NYU Abu Dhabi, UAE
Kalim Siddiqui, international economist, UK
Dr Patrick Schröder, senior research fellow in the Environment and Society Centre at Chatham House, UK
Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: Trucks transporting minded materials. Credit: Las Vegas Review-Journal/Getty Images)

The 2026 men’s football World Cup will be the biggest ever staged. For the first time, 48 teams will compete, playing more than 100 matches across North America.
But the expanded scale comes at a cost. Ticket prices are far higher than at the last World Cup in Qatar. With matches also spread across the US, Mexico and Canada, attending the tournament is becoming unaffordable for many global fans.
FIFA says higher revenues will be reinvested to grow the game worldwide and has released some lower-priced tickets for dedicated supporters, but some fan groups say this isn’t going far enough.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: Is the 2026 World Cup an own goal?
Contributors:
Dr Christina Philippou, associate professor in sport finance at the University of Portsmouth, UK
Dr Victor Matheson, professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, US
Dr Johan Rewilak, associate professor of sport management at Loughborough University, UK
Miguel Delaney, chief football writer, The Independent newspaper in the UK
Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical Producer: Cameron Ward
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed during the FIFA World Cup 2026. Credit: Pool/Getty Images)

Chennai, São Paulo, Mexico City, Tehran, Cape Town - these cities have all faced the threat of a ‘Zero Day’, or, having no fresh water left in their taps.
The UN says we’re entering a ‘water bankruptcy’ era, meaning our water ‘current accounts’ are running empty, while our ‘savings accounts’ - the long term stores of water deep underground - have been depleted, with some beyond repair.
So how did we get here?
From clearing forests for cattle grazing, to thirsty AI data centres, Rajan Datar examines the pressures on our global water supply and looks for solutions.
Contributors:
Jayshree Vencatesan, Co-founder, Care Earth Trust, India
Augusto Getirana, research scientist at NASA's Hydrological Sciences Laboratory, USA
Prof Bridget Scanlon, Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas, USA
Dr Jie-Sheng Tan Soo, Director, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, National University of Singapore
Presenter: Rajan Datar
Producer: Phoebe Keane
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Technical Producer: Cameron Ward
Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
(Photo: Indian women with empty plastic pots protest as they demand drinking water. Credit: Arun Sankar/Getty Images)