Łukasz Molak is a 41-year-old resident of Bolesławiec running in the local-government elections for the position of mayor of the city from the Impuls Lokalny Electoral Committee of Voters. The candidate’s main campaign slogan is the abolition of the Free Parking Zone in Bolesławiec. In 2023, this scheme brought the city a net profit of PLN 1,320,000.
Grażyna Hanaf: – Good morning, Łukasz Molak, the Impuls Lokalny candidate for mayor, is with us today. Good morning.
Łukasz Molak: – Good morning, ma’am, and good morning to everyone.
– Mr Molak, didn’t you want to buy a Q&A on Bolec.Info for PLN 5,000 and talk to voters?
– No, ma’am, I didn’t want to buy one. I met with that editorial team, I meet with you, and I meet every day with people who live in Bolesławiec and in our county. I speak with them openly; I do not block comments. I am a person who has good contact with people, likes talking to them, and also welcomes constructive criticism. If someone criticizes me constructively, believe me, we can create very good conditions for living in Bolesławiec. And without boasting, during my work here recruiting councillors, I held several dozen conversations with people from the right, the left and the centre. Believe me, we really managed to create excellent lists here, representing the entire cross-section of Bolesławiec society, because everyone brought something positive. Even when someone did not agree to stand as a councillor, they brought fantastic ideas for Bolesławiec. Because this is our Bolesławiec, and we...
– That’s good. You won’t be buying peace of mind from Bolec.Info? Aren’t you afraid of the Marczewski brothers?
– I have never done that, and I never will.
– Why doesn’t Chodyra want to be with you? Does he no longer want to be a councillor at all?
– Mr Chodyra... Let me put it this way: it is his private decision. He runs a very successful business and wants to focus on his profession, in which he works and in which he is a very good specialist. It is really difficult to get an appointment with a dentist there; I go there myself. Mr Dominik decided to focus exclusively on his private and professional life. Above all, he runs a large, very successful company.
– We understand; he simply focused on business, so everything is clear. And one question, because I couldn’t find this information: what is your profession and what do you currently do for a living?
– I am currently an e-commerce development manager. I work for a private company, where I develop online sales. Previously, I held a similar position at one of the ceramic plants in Bolesławiec, where together with the team we built an excellent online store that is doing very well today. Then it was time for a change, because I am someone who likes to develop, who has worked in several places during his professional life, and I do not like stagnation. I like to develop, so I changed jobs by my own decision and currently work as an e-commerce development manager.
– But that is at some private company; it isn’t your company?
– Yes, it is a private company.
– Is that good experience for managing a city of nearly 40,000 people? Do you have people working under you, in teams? What does it look like in general? What is your education?
– Both at the ceramic plants and at my current company, I lead the people I work with. I am a manager, but... Ma’am, believe me, I am built in such a way that I always listen to people. I am not the smartest person, and I never will be. People are the ones who should create things. Of course, as a manager I have to issue instructions and fulfil the expectations of my superiors. However, when organizing various initiatives here in Bolesławiec, I can also unite and bring people together and lead them. Most importantly, these people have been with me for many, many years. If I were doing it badly, I think they would not want to create these initiatives with me.
– You say you brought together everyone from the right to the left. Do you remember that you strongly defended an oriental dancer? She performed a belly dance at a festival, but she went to the mayor, to Third Way. Were there problems with the lists? Did many people change dance partners after you asked them to join your lists?
– Residents of Bolesławiec can observe for themselves who will run and from which party. As for whether it was difficult, I will not hide the fact that it was not easy. But our appeal, posted on our website and on social media, asking people to contact us themselves if they wanted to become councillors, brought us several councillors who will run on our lists. They are highly committed people who joined our initiative. People saw how we had been working since 2017, when Impuls Miasta was founded here by Maciej and me. We managed to assemble a team, and another major success is that, I hope, we will bring councillors into the City Council and the county council, where we will also run in all districts, and these people will appear on our lists.
– And if you become mayor, will Maciej Małkowski become deputy mayor? Why isn’t he the candidate? What happened in Impuls that led to you being chosen?
– Impuls Miasta is a social organization. We do not need any decision from Warsaw; we are residents of Bolesławiec, and we decide whom we put forward as mayor. The five of us sat down in the so-called board, discussed all the options, and decided that this year Impuls Lokalny’s candidate for mayor would be me, Łukasz Molak.
– And Deputy Mayor Małkowski...
– No, I will not tell you that, because I have never counted my chickens before they hatch. First we have to win the election, and only afterwards will we discuss positions. Those who know me know that I will not change my position on this.
– Do you know how much net profit the city made from the paid parking zone in 2023?
– Around one million zlotys.
– Exactly PLN 1.32 million. And do you know what that money is used for?
– This year’s budget is PLN 325 million, so it is a very large budget, the largest in Bolesławiec’s history. These funds are allocated in a way that was presented to us as councillors, and we accept it. We abstained from the vote on the budget because our initiatives, which...
– But I mean that exact million, because I found out what it is all used for. You don’t have that information?
– No.
– For free public transport. Because you want to provide transport to neighbouring towns. And I would like to ask how this is supposed to work. I will travel around Bolesławiec for free, but if I go to Łaziska or Dobra, will I pay for a ticket? Who will sell these tickets? And how do you imagine I will buy one at the city limits? Do you already have an idea? How will you handle it? Without PLN 1.32 million, because there is not supposed to be a parking zone after 2025.
– There are programmes for this, ma’am. Among others, there is the Polish-Swiss Urban Development Programme, which we can certainly use. These are very large programmes, under which one can obtain even several dozen million euros for this type of investment. We can also purchase more buses. The zone in Bolesławiec can be abolished through suburban transport; it functioned well. Now, as we can see, we have paid parking in Bolesławiec, and unfortunately the flow, the flood of cars arriving in Bolesławiec—nearly 50,000 vehicles—is partly caused by the abolition of the suburban transport zone. All those living in the neighbouring municipalities commute here, bring their children to various activities, and do not use that zone.
– Have you recently been to the PKS bus station and checked how many connections there already are—let me stick with Łaziska—between Łaziska and Bolesławiec, and from Bolesławiec to Łaziska? I mean PKS, not city transport.
– First of all, ma’am, this is not our idea—not an idea we came up with at home, sitting down over tea and coffee and deciding that this is what we should do, that we should restore public transport. Residents are contacting us. Both Bolesławiec residents and residents of neighbouring towns tell us that they would like to take the proverbial red bus home. They say this would be much safer for them.
– And PKS has 30 connections, from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., with Łaziska, and 29 from Bolesławiec to Łaziska—something around that. It is impressive. What will you do with PKS if you carry out this revolution? Will it also run? Will it also provide transport? Will it somehow be financially viable for everyone? There probably aren’t enough rural residents for them to use the red buses as well... This will be competition for PKS, right?
– Above all, it will not be competition, because within local government these companies cannot compete with each other. We need to sit down at the so-called round table and talk. We certainly will not compete, because the city must cooperate with the county and with the neighbouring municipalities. This is how we see Bolesławiec’s future.
– All right, then we will hope that you can make the numbers work and succeed. I have one more question: wBoleslawcu is your portal, right?
– It is a portal run by an association. Once, yes, I was the creator of the portal.
– Who writes there? There is a certain Witold. I would like to ask who Witold is. Witold writes about important matters concerning the city.
– Witold writes, yes. And he asks very strongly that his identity not be disclosed. He sends us articles, which we read and then post on the portal.
– If I were to guess Father Andrzej Jarosiewicz, would I be very wrong?
– No, no, that is certainly me(?)....
– Who is this person who so strongly defends homosexual people, sexually active homosexual people in the Catholic Church—priests? He almost wanted to organize a pride march for those priests; he mentioned Hiacynt. No, won’t you reveal a little of the secret? Who is this committed person?
– Unfortunately, I cannot, but when I see that the articles are well received, I am extremely pleased and will ask for more.
– My admiration was aroused—admiration. All right, Mr Molak, one final question: what else do you have? Apart from the paid parking zone you want to abolish, do you want to introduce free parking? Or has anything else come up? Is there anything else you want to use to attract Bolesławiec residents?
– Above all, we want to hire a municipal gardener to take care of Bolesławiec’s ecosystem. We can see how the city is being covered in concrete; unfortunately, the largest trees are being cut down. Small ones are planted, it is true, but it will take several decades before they grow. And believe me, the municipal architect is another of our ideas. When I walked around Bolesławiec, at times it seemed to me—and we can all see it—that Bolesławiec has unfortunately become somewhat disjointed. We would also like to build an entertainment and sports hall and obtain money from the European Union and various types of funds, because the money is available. At the same time, I would like to tell all municipal officials not to be afraid, because good officials are worth their weight in gold and certainly will not be dismissed.
– Ah, that is interesting too. You declare that you will not dismiss officials, only the mayor. The general underlying message of your campaign is that power becomes arrogant the longer it lasts. Do you agree with that? Is that what attracts people to Impuls?
– I heard in one interview that Piotr Roman does not know his opponents. I have already been a councillor for nearly ten years, so my mayoral term would involve not merely pampering Impuls Lokalny councillors. Once a month, in addition to council sessions, I would talk to councillors, because these councillors convey the problems of Bolesławiec residents. A proverbial pothole in the road, or a lamp that is on during the day but not at night, has no political colour. The problem simply has to be solved here and now. That is the kind of mayoralty I believe in.
– Wonderful, I am glad. As the organizer of the Pride March, I invite the March for Life and Family to join our ranks when we organize it, so that you can march with us. Will you join us?
– I cannot promise you that. We live in a democratic country, and everyone attends the rallies they choose.
– Will the mayor go? Łukasz Molak as mayor—will he march with us in the Pride March?
– If he becomes mayor, Łukasz Molak will consider it first. He will certainly also ask you about patronage for such an event, patronage for the Ceramics Festival, or for a march. Above all, I will establish regulations by mayoral order specifying how, in accordance with the law, the mayor may decide whether to grant such patronage. As far as I know, no such order currently exists, while other cities have them. We would very much like to regulate these matters here.
– All right, thank you very much. I wish you success and plenty of strength during the ongoing election campaign. Thank you all, and thank you, sir. Goodbye.
– Best wishes, goodbye.