The Polish Experience of Local Democracy: is Progress being made?

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to review the Polish experience of local democracy less than a year after the first free local election (27 May, 1990). But it is impossible to understand the present situation without looking back at the previous system of local authorities and so the article begins by describing this system. Next I discuss the introduction and the main features of the new system. In the third section I try to give a brief description of local leaders’ consciousness at the beginning of the transition process and its implications for present reforms. The aim of the next section is to discuss to what extent the changes in Poland are similar to those occurring in the rest of Eastern Europe and the hypothesis is forwarded that comparisons with Hungary may be the most interesting. Finally, I present a critical description of the first experiences of new councils. I concentrate on their problems, conflicts and obvious mistakes, not on success, but it is necessary to remember that Polish communes are differentiated and the problems described do not always concern all of them. In the final chapter I try to sum up and evaluate the present situation. I argue that despite all the problems and misunderstandings some progress has been made.