Challenges of the Polish local self-government in the context of the development of the civil society

Abstract

Political changes in Poland in the last two decades of the 20th century enabled the creation of a new political regime. The development of civil society in the 21st century has aroused curiosity concerning the instruments and forms that promote effective participation and deliberation in the field of local self-government and other areas. The perception of political decisions and their legitimization may be reinforced via the appropriate identification and application of some participatory instruments. Some legal institutions have been established and have been developed in order to increase the scope of civil society in local self-government (e.g., elections to the local authorities, referendums, and public consultations). The latest amendment, enacted on the 11th of January 2018, to the Polish local self-government acts is a step towards the reinforcement of public participation at the local level (the civil budget, participating in the debate on the report on the condition of the of local government unit, and the civil legislative initiative).