Foreign Capital in the Structural Transformation of the Polish Banking Sector During the Global Crisis

The Polish banking sector, in contrast to other major European Union countries, has been for many years dominated by banks either controlled by foreign capital or owned by a foreign credit institution. Such a situation is mainly a consequence of the privatization policy that was due to the transformation process of the Polish economy that began after the fall of communism in 1989. At the beginning of the reforms in the early 1990s, the greatest obstacle to the banking system market construction was the lack of domestic capital, as well as the right knowledge of banking.The purpose of the paper is to define the role of foreign capital in the structural transformation of the Polish banking sector during the global crisis. The analysis is based on data published by the Financial Supervision Commission (KNF), the Polish National Bank (NBP), the European Central Bank (ECB) and the information included in the National Court Register.In view of the origin of certain strategic investors -- especially from countries with large economic problems (Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal) and the continuing difficulties many foreign strategic investors should expect further consolidation, which will reflect the mergers and acquisitions in the global financial market