Subsidiarity in the service of regional policy: The perspective from Poland’s West Pomerania region

Olgierd Geblewicz

doi:10.1177/1781685819847632

Abstract

Poland’s local governments, introduced into the public administration system in two stages in 1989 and 1999, have become important actors in the development policy conducted at the national and local levels. Setting up voivodeships—the third-level units of local government—was particularly significant for building strong foundations for a comprehensive regional policy in Poland. Voivodeships create the conditions needed for the long-term economic and social development of their territories. That is why voivodeships should be governed by visionaries rather than administrators. The direct responsibility for regional development planning and programming positions their leaders as the coordinators of development activities in the region and the wise investors of EU funds. Their role must be reflected in the appropriate coordination of development activities at the local level and the ability to offer territorially sensitive financial tools to local communities.

Highlights

Alongside the building of a democracy with a free-market economy in Poland over the last 30 years, the process of creating three levels of local government and reinforcing these by providing them with the necessary competences and resources has taken place
The following sections describe the legal framework for Polish local-government activities at different levels and look at West Pomerania’s experience of providing solutions for collective action by local governments, especially through the use of territorial and inclusive instruments
Local-government development policies evolve because their vision of the world and possibilities for action take into account changing conditions

Summary

Introduction

Alongside the building of a democracy with a free-market economy in Poland over the last 30 years, the process of creating three levels of local government and reinforcing these by providing them with the necessary competences and resources has taken place. Needs, while the highest-level units of local government ensure the appropriate conditions for long-term economic and social development. The basic task of the voivodeship government should be to create conditions for the long-term economic and social development of the region.

Results

Conclusion