A decisive lead for the answer “Yes, Roman must go” in the Istotne.pl poll. We published the vote below an article about term limits and the possibility of Piotr Roman running again for mayor of Bolesławiec.

The question “Should the two-term limit still apply?” received 227 votes. At the time the results were checked, they were as follows:

  • “Yes, Roman must go” – 209 votes, or 92.07%;
  • “No, Roman can stay” – 14 votes, or 6.17%;
  • “I don’t care” – 4 votes, or 1.76%.

The answer indicating that the mayor should leave office was chosen nearly fifteen times more often than the option allowing him to stay. Among poll participants, support for change is therefore overwhelming.

Residents speak of fatigue with many years of rule

Critical comments about the mayor also reach Istotne.pl journalists during direct conversations. It happens that residents encountered by chance, including in Bolesławiec’s market square, approach us themselves and share their observations.

These conversations repeatedly return to fatigue with Piotr Roman’s many years in office. Those we speak with accuse him of excessive self-confidence, an unpleasant way of treating people and insufficient regard for residents’ opinions. Some believe that it is during the current term in particular that they have come to view his conduct and way of performing his duties especially negatively.

These are the opinions of people who spoke with the editorial team, not an assessment of all residents of Bolesławiec. Their recurring nature is nevertheless worth noting, especially alongside such an unequivocal voting result.

Complacency instead of responding to expectations?

Among the comments shared with our editorial team there is also criticism of how the city authorities’ actions are communicated. Some people we speak with perceive this messaging as excessively promotional, full of complacency and insufficiently open to criticism.

Residents who share such assessments with us also speak of the need for new ideas. They accuse the mayor of being cautious and of failing to bring a change in the way the city is managed that they can actually feel. Their statements convey an expectation of greater openness to the everyday problems of Bolesławiec residents and a willingness to talk also with people dissatisfied with the local government’s actions.

The poll result corresponds with these views. The vote itself does not, however, answer the question of which specific decisions or actions by the mayor prompted individual participants to choose a particular answer.

Who reads Istotne.pl?

Data from Google Analytics monitored by the editorial team show that a significant part of the portal’s audience consists of middle-aged and older people. Our readers include people in their thirties and forties, a large group of people in their fifties and sixties, as well as older residents, including retirees.

The discussion conducted on the portal therefore also reaches people who have observed life in Bolesławiec and the actions of its authorities for many years.

A result that should prompt reflection

An online poll is a voluntary vote by readers, not a representative survey of all residents. It therefore cannot be stated that 92.07% of Bolesławiec residents want Piotr Roman to leave office. It can, however, be stated unequivocally that this answer was chosen by an overwhelming majority of participants in our poll.

This is a clear sign of dissatisfaction among voters. Combined with the critical comments shared with the editorial team, it points to the need to take seriously questions about the mayor’s relationship with residents, his openness to criticism and expectations concerning the city’s future.

For Piotr Roman, this result should be a reason to reflect on how residents perceive his way of exercising power—including those who are already expecting change.