CNN Press Release: Weeklong coverage anchored by Fionnuala Sweeney will feature live interviews, countrywide reports from Fred Pleitgen and viewer videos.


Fionnuala Sweeney will front a week of live interviews with guests from the world of politics, business, sport and culture, interspersed with reports from by CNN’s Fred Pleitgen, who will be in Poland earlier in June to file a range of stories for the i-list team.

As Poland’s upcoming elections determine the future of its political landscape in the aftermath of terrible tragedy, and as severe floods compound the country’s internal challenges, CNN looks at the country’s response to its difficulties at a critical time in its history and asks how well it is faring.

With Poland’s new leaders set to shape the country anew on the world stage, CNN also gauges Poland’s infrastructural progress towards hosting the European Championships in 2012, set against the backdrop of this year’s World Cup in South Africa.

The week examines the country’s economic health as well, as one of the few countries to record positive GDP growth rate during the global financial crisis: an in-depth look at Poland’s ‘Brain Gain’ examines how those who left Poland after the country joined the EU in 2004 are returning home to set up new businesses with newly acquired skills. Other reports will include a look at Poland’s role in the Community of Democracies movement as it marks its tenth anniversary and an examination of Poland’s reprivatisation of property.

“Since the start of the year i-list has been bringing our viewers a fresh insight into countries that are helping to shape the international community. The story of modern Poland is reverberating onto the broader world stage politically, socio-economically, culturally and in the sporting arena. i-list puts Poland’s role in the world today under the microscope through a diverse mix of interviews, reports and of course, our viewers’ own views,” said Mike McCarthy, vice president of coverage and feature programming for CNN International.

The programming also looks at some of the cultural and social aspects that shape its national identity including the legacy of its famous musical son Frederic Chopin in this his 200th anniversary year, and a look at Wroclaw, a new arrival on Europe’s list of hip cities.

CNN is asking viewers to submit their pictures and videos about Poland to iReport, and the best will be used on-air and online as part of the week-long programming.

This latest instalment of i-list continues a global journey which to date has included Bahrain, France, Georgia and Macedonia.


About CNN’s ‘i-List’

The ‘i-List’ highlights innovation and influence in industry, business, technology, culture and more, from a list of destinations that combines the familiar with the unfamiliar. It showcases a nation’s people and places – those having an impact inside and outside their borders. ‘i-List Poland’ is the fifth in the series, with France, Bahrain, Georgia and Macedonia profiled in earlier instalments this year.

CNN.com/ilist has an interactive map showcasing iList’s global journey so far, allowing users to test their knowledge on Poland in an online quiz. There’s a profile of Poland’s hippest city with CNN’s guide to Wroclaw and users can read about the first biometric ATM machine in Europe.