There Are Proposals to Change the Number of Voivodeships. What Does This Mean for Our Region?

The report’s author, Dr Łukasz Zaborowski, an expert at the Sobieski Institute on regional development and spatial policy, claims that Poland’s current administrative division into 16 voivodeships is an accidental hybrid in which several large voivodeships were expanded by adding several medium-sized ones, while the division itself resulted from behind-the-scenes political bargaining.

As we read on the website of the Sobieski Institute:

In the “additional” voivodeships, Kielce and Opole, as well as Gorzów and Zielona Góra, retained the status of voivodeship capitals. Among others, Częstochowa, Kalisz, Koszalin, Radom and Tarnów lost that status, even though they are no less important in the country’s settlement network. Such unequal treatment creates a sense of grievance in several overlooked centres. In the report author’s view, eliminating these inconsistencies is a matter of justice. Similar centres and regions should have equal status within the structure of the state.

In his report, Dr Łukasz Zaborowski proposes a concept for reforming the administrative division in four variants: minimal, moderate, balancing and macro-regional. From the perspective of residents of Bolesławiec and the region, the most interesting appears to be the macro-regional variant, meaning a return to the concept of large voivodeships.

Among other things, it assumes reducing the number of voivodeships from 16 to 12. In that case, Zielona Góra and the southern part of the present Lubusz Voivodeship would become part of Lower Silesian Voivodeship, while Gorzów Wielkopolski and the northern part of Lubusz Voivodeship would become part of West Pomeranian Voivodeship.

Meanwhile, Opole Voivodeship would be merged with Silesian Voivodeship. The new Silesian–Częstochowa Voivodeship would then become the country’s most populous region, with 4.7 million residents. Lower Silesia would rank third, with 3.6 million residents. You can find the full proposal for the new division and more information on the subject at portalsamorzadowy.pl

What do you think of this idea?