2024 Local Elections
It all began with them. The election campaign in the Nowogrodziec commune was fierce and brutal. The elections brought a new beginning and a change in the office of Mayor of Nowogrodziec. The elections were decided in the first round—with 50.75% of the vote, Ms Joanna Świder won; the incumbent Mayor Rober Relich achieved a surprisingly weak result of 38.15%, while Krystian Góra, promoted as the “dark horse,” received 11.10% of the vote. Turnout in the Nowogrodziec commune was not impressive: it stood at 46.26%, lower than turnout in Bolesławiec County (48.14%) and the country as a whole (51.94%).
It is worth mentioning that in the Nowogrodziec commune, the very good election result of Joanna Świder did not translate into a good result in the city council elections. This is all the more surprising because in neighboring communes, the new mayors, together with their electoral committees, won majorities on the commune councils. For example, councilors from the electoral committee of the mayor of Lwówek Śląski won 14 of 15 seats. In the Nowogrodziec commune, councilors associated with former mayor Relich won 10 of 15 seats on the City Council. This is quite surprising—it is as if one were building a new house on old foundations. It is only a matter of time before the first cracks appear.
The Nowogrodziec commune did not opt for generational change in local government. This is particularly surprising because it is often said that young people do not want to take responsibility for their own affairs and are not interested in social issues. Generational changes are inevitable and necessary, especially in Nowogrodziec. For more than a dozen years, the local government has been “concreted over”; it is high time for people with a fresh perspective, who are active and passionate about taking action, to appear in local government.
Schnabel Festival
In May 2024, the 16th edition of the International Music at J. I. Schnabel Festival was held, as has become traditional. Józef Ignacy Schnabel was a sacred-music composer from Nowogrodziec (German: Naumburg am Queis) who gained popularity in 19th-century Silesia. The festival’s star, who attracted many music lovers from different parts of the country, was laureate and third-prize winner of the Chopin Competition, Kate Liu. The other performers also presented a high standard.
Cooperation Without Cooperation
Once the campaign dust and emotions had settled, the first inaugural session of the Nowogrodziec City Council became a major event. It was a highly ceremonial occasion, with many declarations of good cooperation, an interesting speech by the Mayor of Nowogrodziec, Joanna Świder, and a short but substantive address by Antonina Szelechowicz, chair of the City Council. Szelechowicz declared her willingness to cooperate well and for all councilors to work together for the commune and its residents.
The work of the city council had barely begun when the first crack appeared in June 2024. This happened because Mayor Joanna Świder was denied a vote of confidence and a discharge resolution for the execution of the budget. Although the vote of confidence and the discharge concerned the actions of the previous mayor, councilors from the “Cooperation and Experience” club decided not to give their support.
This bizarre situation was described in detail by the local-government magazine “Wspólnota” (No. 5/2024): “[…] in 2024, a situation may arise in which a newly elected commune head, after one month in office, does not receive a vote of confidence from the council (if they do not have a supportive majority among its members). From the perspective of local-government public opinion, such a state of affairs will be incomprehensible.”
On the official profile of the “Cooperation and Experience” councilors’ club on Facebook—the profile is called “Cooperation Experience”—the following was published on June 28, 2024: “yes, we did not give the mayor a vote of confidence! Because we simply do not trust the Lady Mayor.”
The lack of a discharge resolution for Joanna Świder represents an assessment of the budget’s execution and the state of the commune’s finances. In reality, this means that the former mayor left the commune in poor financial condition, since the councilors did not grant the discharge. Did the councilors perhaps approach their duties too personally? Perhaps…
Unfortunately, little remains of the cooperation mentioned earlier. People say that “it takes two to tango,” but since the “Cooperation and Experience” councilors hold a majority on the council, the ball is clearly in their court.
Rajmund Wróblewski Square
The green park, also known as Rajmund Wróblewski Square, became another bone of contention between the mayor and the City Council. Councilors from the “Cooperation and Experience” club supported the idea promoted by former mayor Rober Relich to develop the green square in the center of Nowogrodziec. An apartment building was supposed to be built on the site of the park. Why did the idea provoke such strong emotions? For two reasons. Several years ago, there had already been a discussion about developing the site, and signatures were collected opposing the construction. However, the residents’ voices were ignored because, toward the end of the 2018–2024 local-government term, Mayor Relich decided to begin efforts aimed at constructing a building on the site.
The mayor and councilors from the “First and Foremost, Residents” club clearly opposed the idea. One of the main arguments was preserving green space for residents, particularly older people, for whom it is the only green refuge. Ultimately, the mayor changed the purpose, and funds obtained from the Polish Deal program were redirected to modernize the water-treatment plant. The spread of concrete was halted.
Flood
The flood also affected the Nowogrodziec commune, causing local flooding and inundation, including of the building by the Chrobry stadium. Water also entered the sports facility’s playing surface. Virtually the entire Słowackiego Street was flooded. The bridge over the Kwisa was closed. Although the situation looked dangerous, it was not as serious as in the communes of Mirsk and Wleń.
New and Old Problems
The passing year 2024 was certainly a difficult year for the commune and town of Nowogrodziec. The turbulent election campaign only deepened divisions in the commune. The new beginning represented by the new mayor is undoubtedly the most important event of recent years. Nowogrodziec and the entire commune need a breath of fresh air, new and interesting ideas, and above all, investment. Although the previous mayor was regarded as someone who could easily obtain funding for various investments, many unresolved problems remain in the commune, including:
- the healthcare center building in Zebrzydowa—which had not been renovated for many years and now requires substantial financial resources,
- staffing issues at the Independent Public Healthcare Facility—directors have been replaced like gloves over many years, and the recent dismissal of Director Świątek by the current Mayor of Nowogrodziec gives cause for thought. Can a 28-year-old become director of a public healthcare facility? This person recently completed her studies, and her experience managing this type of institution is highly debatable. Is a director’s salary of approximately PLN 29,000 adequate?
- lack of electricity in the chapels at the cemeteries in Czerna and Gierałtów
- the poor technical condition of the community center in Milików
There are, of course, more problems, but they must be resolved gradually rather than new ones being created.
Does Nowogrodziec have a chance for peace and stability? Joanna Świder should be given that chance—a chance the previous mayor received repeatedly over more than a dozen years. Without mutual trust and compromise, little can be built. We all observe the political conflicts taking place between the most important people in our country. Such conflicts are not needed in the Nowogrodziec commune.
What do we need? Above all, agreement, the development of compromise, and a minimum level of trust. Local government is a “cart that needs to be pushed together, in one direction.” May 2025 bring only positive changes to our commune, with residents always coming first and the voice of the younger generation finally being heard. All the best in the New Year.