The Ceremonial Gala Closing the Local Government Forum in Zakopane.

The culmination of the second and final day of the Forum of Local and Regional Authorities was the Ceremonial Gala presenting awards to outstanding local government leaders who, for many years, have served the residents of their local communities with great dedication and even greater effectiveness.

The gala opened with an address by Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, who thanked the assembled local government representatives for their ability to engage in dialogue beyond political divisions, for understanding that the problems of residents must be solved regardless of party affiliation, and for always placing the wellbeing of the people who entrusted them with the mandate of councillor, mayor, village head, or town mayor above all else.

The Deputy Prime Minister also pointed out that legislation limiting the number of terms in office works to the detriment of residents, as it forces experienced individuals—trusted by their communities—to leave their posts. Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that in the face of the threats stemming from the war in the East, obliging experienced leaders to step down is a misguided solution.

This theme was echoed by Kazimierz Barczyk, Vice-Chairman of the Regional Assembly of the Małopolska Region, who noted that had this rule been in effect earlier, Małgorzata Małuch, Mayor of the Municipality of Sękowa, would have had to leave her office long ago. In his view, this would have caused great harm to the residents, who have consistently confirmed in successive elections that she is an excellent leader of her municipality. Kazimierz Barczyk added that an overwhelming majority of local government officials in Małopolska support abolishing the two-term limit.

The Forum of Local and Regional Authorities Award was presented to Małgorzata Małuch by Łukasz Smółka, Marshal of the Małopolska Region.

During the Gala, awards of the Forum of Local and Regional Authorities were also presented to: Rafał Kukla, Mayor of Gorlice; Jan Smarduch, former Mayor of the Municipality of Nowy Targ (who held his office for 34 years); and Zbigniew Wojas, Mayor of the Municipality of Gdów.

Summarising the Forum, Marshal Łukasz Smółka thanked everyone for their strong attendance. He emphasised the value of working beyond divisions and continually seeking solutions together in the face of shared challenges. He expressed hope that next year we will meet again at the next Forum of Local and Regional Authorities.

The Mayor of Zakopane, Łukasz Filipowicz, joined in these thanks. He expressed his joy that Zakopane had welcomed such distinguished guests, noting that this would help ensure that the problems of smaller towns are better recognised and addressed more quickly. Mayor Filipowicz naturally invited all local government leaders back to Zakopane for next year’s Forum.

The Gala was hosted by Joanna Kwiatkowska from Radio Leliwa and Bogusław Chrabota, Editor-in-Chief of the Gremi Media Group. The event was musically enriched by a performance of the Baczków Orchestra, conducted by Wojciech Zwierniak