On 21 August 2026, the municipal office held a banquet at the Museum of Ceramics to open the Bolesławiec Ceramic Festival. The event was closed, and entry was possible only with an invitation. The bill for catering, service and equipment came to PLN 32,400. The event took place on the premises of the municipal institution that is the Museum of Ceramics. The Mayor invited 250 people; 180 attended. Each plate cost taxpayers approximately PLN 180. We return to the issue of expenditure from the municipal budget during the Ceramic Festival.
You know them by sight. Some of them vote on the municipal budget
The Mayor’s spokesperson said who was on the guest list for the banquet. They included, among others:
- parliamentarians from constituency no. 1
- the provincial authorities and the Marshal’s Office
- Bolesławiec City Council councillors
- the Bolesławiec County Board
- the boards of neighbouring local-government units
- heads of institutions operating in the city
- heads of uniformed services
- distinguished and honorary citizens of Bolesławiec
- heads and representatives of organisations and associations (approximately 40 people)
- representatives of ceramic companies affiliated with the Bolesławiec Ceramic Brotherhood
- representatives of partner cities
- sponsors and partners of the 23rd Bolesławiec Ceramic Festival
The municipal office explains: it was about building relationships
The spokesperson recalled that the 2026 Ceramic Festival had a special character: that year marked the 80th anniversary of the return of Poles from Bosnia.
– The meeting served to create a space for the direct exchange of experiences, discussions, and establishing and maintaining relationships between representatives of local-government authorities, public institutions, social organisations, representatives of local communities, as well as 30 event partners and sponsors of the Bolesławiec Ceramic Festival, who this year contributed a record amount of nearly PLN 800,000 to the event, which constitutes a significant part of the revenue for organising it – said spokesperson Agnieszka Gergont.
Certainly, the people present at tables laden with delicacies could build relationships, but does this serve residents, or does it concern them at all? A substantial sum from the municipal budget was spent on the banquet. Will the councillors invited to the banquet decide to ask about the rising costs of the Ceramic Festival and whether spending municipal money on a banquet was justified? Will the relationships built during the banquet get in their way?