Talks about authority
As part of the Poznań Economic Congress, one of the panels was held on the topic: “Government and local government – confrontation or synergy”. The panel featured:
Zbigniew Czerwiński, provincial councilor, entrepreneur, anti-communist opposition activist,
Sara Szynkowska aka Sęk, Councilor of the City of Poznań,
Łukasz Schreiber, Minister – member of the Council of Ministers, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers,
Mikołaj Kostaniak, Vice-Chairman of the Commune Council, Councilor of the Święciechowa Commune.
Andrzej Chmielewski, Deputy Mayor of the Pruszcz Gdański Commune for social matters, including: education, culture and sport,
Wojciech Koźmiński, legal advisor, [moderation]
A key element of the functioning of the state are the relations between the government and local governments. The panel aimed to consider in-depth whether these relationships are based on confrontation or whether they build a synergistic partnership. This debate focused on the following issues:
Division of competences – what are the rules for the division of competences between the central government and local governments? Are they clear and fair?
Cooperation and conflicts – what are examples of effective cooperation between the government and local governments, as well as cases of confrontation? What are the causes of potential conflicts and what strategies help resolve disputes?
Financing and resources – how does financing of local governments affect their ability to perform their tasks? Are there inequalities in access to resources?
Local initiatives – what initiatives are undertaken by local governments in areas such as local development, education or health care? What support can they receive from central government?
Prospects – what changes in public policy and legislation are necessary to increase the synergistic partnership between the government and local governments?
The debate was intended to create a space for reflection on the relations between central and local authorities and to look for ways to build an effective, mutually beneficial partnership. What changes can contribute to the better functioning of the local government system and better service of the needs of local communities?
You can see this discussion on YouTube. Have the above questions been answered?