Józef Król, president of Bolesławiec from 1990 to 1998, deputy voivode of Jelenia Góra and later Lower Silesia; former county councillor:

30 years ago, something extremely important happened in our social and political life. Those in power at the time—let me remind you: Tadeusz Mazowiecki’s government—decided to share power. And so local government was established, with its own designated responsibilities and revenues. We were to govern ourselves here.

Those were interesting years and interesting times, because a great deal happened and a great deal was achieved.

And he adds:

At the beginning, the situation was not very good. Our city, Bolesławiec, did not have a wastewater treatment plant or a waste landfill. The town hall was in ruins. There were no roads, and the pavements were neglected.

But the essence of local government was that, having become the hosts here, we knew what to do and how to do it. It turned out that after my two terms as president, we had managed to make up for all the backlogs. The city had built a wastewater treatment plant and a modern waste landfill; the first section of the city’s small bypass had already been opened, the town hall had been renovated, and many, many other things had been done.

Poland in the 1990s was a Poland under renovation, a Poland investing. At that time, we laid the foundations for the city’s development, because without investments such as a wastewater treatment plant or a waste landfill, there would have been no investors. And they came to us even then, creating jobs. Let me remind you: Bader, Zehnder, IBF. It was an enormously dynamic development of the local community.

What was the most difficult?

J. Król:

There were many problems; we had to learn democracy.

And he immediately adds:

We knew how to share power among ourselves and focus on the city’s problems. That was the first lesson we passed. We did not focus on ourselves or on arguments.

And he points out:

When I look at local government today from the perspective of those years, I feel somewhat sorry about what is happening now. Today, those in power treat local government not as a partner, but as a rival. Unfortunately, gradual centralization is taking place: responsibilities are being taken away, and money is being taken away. These are not good processes.

We who live here, who create local government—because that means all residents—should defend this achievement. We should defend it by every available means. Because it is worthwhile and necessary.