Habersack, Sabine - Puşcaş, Vasile - Ciubotă, Viorel (szerk.): Democraţia in Europa centrală şi de Sud-Est - Aspiraţie şi realitate (Secolele XIX-XX) (Satu Mare, 2001)

Jan Wendt: Territorialization of Authority in Poland

Territorialization of Authority in Poland

As the 2nd category of problems interfering wish shaping centres of local authority, is the result of factors exogenous to self governing - it is impossible to alleviate the a fore-said problem at that level. Instead , it is feasible to extract factors bound up with the model of politics exercised in Poland and being the result of power gain of bureaucracy, having characteristics typical for every administrative powers. The fundamental barriers to the transfer of power from governmental to municipal structures is giving up of the reform of administrative centre of the state, that is to say: lack of political will - against verbalised declarations - to impart the power to structures, which can be influenced by politicians only. Generally, it is due to relatively young democratic system in the country and almost total vacuum of clear principles concerning financing activity of parties and politicians. Corruption - generating system of giving concessions, securing posts in boards of directors by parties for their supporters, system of increasing state intervention in the market (for example: too high customs duties, unstable taxes system, lack of equality of economic items, intervening in agriculture market, great degree of national income redistribution by governmental agencies and politicians) - favours quick economical advancement of the elites chosen through non-open decisionmaking process.

Next negative phenomenon is creation of new institutions of special administration - despite announcements on decentralisation of the power - and its classic example are Health Insurance (Kasy Chorych) compatible with new provinces and some central offices which still exist though the right competencies where granted to communal , district and provincial governments.

Tab.4. Local political elites at the Board of Health Insurance

Provinces

Domination of parties

Co

une

illő

rs

SL

D

PS

L

AWSUW

Experts

Zachodniopomorskie

SLD/PSL

21

12

4

3

2-Wielkopolskie

SLD/PSL

21

12

6-3-Lódzkie

SLD/PSL

21

10

9-2-Mazowieckié

SLD/PSL

21

8

8

5-Lubuskie

SLD/PSL

18

9

6-3 "-285