INFORMATION PORTAL OF THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE OF THE KUJAWSKO-POMORSKIE Region IN TORUŃ

Today (May 23), local government representatives from all levels across our region gathered in Kowal, Włocławek County, to sign a declaration marking the 35th anniversary of the rebirth of regional self-government in Poland. “Since 1990, we have been building a Poland based on cooperation, solidarity, and partnership. Municipalities, counties, and regions form a coherent system that effectively responds to challenges, supports development, and cares for those in need. Self-governance is a strength — rooted in values, built on experience, and open to the future,” reads the document.

The forum is held on the eve of the 35th anniversary of Poland’s first free local elections, giving the event a particularly ceremonial character. The gathering of regional self-government officials, which also includes members of parliament from the region, opened with a ceremony of laying flowers at the monument to King Casimir the Great and the planting of the Oak of Self-Governance. Alongside the tree, a capsule was buried in the ground containing the Self-Governance Declaration and a digital drive with children’s artwork.

Signatories of the declaration included Marshal Piotr Całbecki, President of the Regional Parliament Elżbieta Piniewska, co-architect of Poland’s regional self-government reform Prof. Jerzy Stępień, Vice-Marshal Aneta Jędrzejewska, Regional Executive Board Member Marek Wojtkowski, and Regional Parliament Councilors Tadeusz Pogoda and Przemysław Ziemecki.

At the beginning of the session, held in the hall of the local Volunteer Fire Department, long-serving and distinguished regional self-government officials were honored for their dedication to both their local communities and the development of regional self-governance. Among the 82 individuals recognized were Andrzej Łydziński, Vice-Chair of the Tłuchowo Municipal Council in Lipno County (serving since 1990), and Stanisław Sadowski, long-time Mayor of Baruchowo Commune in Włocławek County (1990–2024).

The event concluded with a panel discussion titled “Polish Regional Self-Government – 35 Years of Shared Journey. Where Are We Headed?” Participants included Marshal Piotr Całbecki, Prof. Jerzy Stępień, Prof. Jakub Szlachetko from the National Institute of Regional Self-Government, Mayor of Grudziądz Maciej Glamowski, Starost of Żnin County Zbigniew Jaszczuk, Mayor of Kowal Eugeniusz Gołembiewski, and Mayor of Cekcyn Commune Jacek Brygman.

Beata Krzemińska
Spokesperson of the Marshal’s Office

May 23, 2025