Best Wishes for Village Leaders (Sołtysi and Sołtyski)
– Please accept my highest words of recognition and gratitude for your daily service to the local communities of our region. (…) I wish you perseverance, unwavering energy, faith in the meaning of your mission and in your own ability to make a difference. May the satisfaction and gratitude of residents be a source of strength and motivation for you – wrote Marshal Piotr Całbecki to the leaders of rural communities on the occasion of their holiday. Today is Village Leader’s Day (Dzień Sołtysa), celebrated by 2,294 female and male village leaders in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region and more than 40,000 of their counterparts across Poland.
– You are not only the hosts of your villages, but also animators of community life, initiators of change and advocates of residents’ needs. (…) I look with great admiration at your ability to combine so many roles, as well as at your energy, determination and consistency. (…) It is thanks to your commitment that rural communities develop, integrate and effectively respond to contemporary challenges. Thank you for your dedication, responsibility and everything that builds the strength and identity of local communities in our voivodeship – reads the letter that was delivered to village councils across the region yesterday.
The regional government regards village leaders as important partners supporting the Marshal’s administration, among others in implementing the local dimension of regional policy addressed to rural communities. To highlight the importance of their social role, the regional authorities established a village leader’s badge of honor, awarded to all those holding this responsible office.
Since 2024, the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Regional Council of Village Leaders has been operating. Appointed by the regional board, it consists of 120 members recommended by municipal mayors (wójtowie) and serves as an advisory body to the Marshal on issues concerning rural development. An important large-scale event dedicated to rural leaders is Sołtysiada, whose goal is to integrate the community and create a space for exchanging experiences. This year it will be held for the second time.
It is also worth noting that the profile of this level of rural self-government is changing. Until recently, a village leader was most often a serious middle-aged man. Today, however, residents increasingly entrust this role to women, including young women. In the Kujawsko-Pomorskie region, women already make up half (52%) of village leaders. The highest share of female leaders is in the Stolno municipality (Chełmno County) – 85%, while the lowest is in the Brzuze municipality (Rypin County) – 6%.
Beata Krzemińska
Press Spokesperson of the Marshal’s Office
11 March 2026