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MODERNISATION OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT – PROPOSALS FOR THE STRUCTURE OF LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE BODIES
Jacek WOJNICKI1
Publication language: English
scientific paper
Guests Editors of the Issue Tomasz Herudziński, Wojciech Mincewicz
Transformations No. 4(127)2025, Publication date: 30 December 2025
Keywords: Local self-government, municipality, decentralisation, internal structure, municipal council, oversight functions.
Abstract The article discusses the issue of modernising local self-government in the Third Republic of Poland. It examines the experience of local self-government au-thorities since 1990, following the restoration of municipal self-government. The analysis identifies elements within the internal structure and organisation of local self-government that require correction and improvements. Notably, it is necessary to strengthen the municipal council as the legislative and oversight body in the mu-nicipality. The introduction of monocratic executive bodies, directly elected by local residents, has dramatically weakened the council’s position, particularly its over-sight functions relative to the local administration, which is subordinated to the village head or mayor. The article also notes that civil society organisations and expert groups perceive the direction of local self-government reform differently from self-government circles, which primarily advocate removing term limits for village heads.
University of Warsaw, Faculties Political Sciences and Inter-national Relations, ITECH Łukasiewicz Network, Poland
ORCID: 0000-0002-4289-989X
E-mail: jacekwojnicki@uw.edu.pl