Abstract:

The study focuses on the reforms of the Polish local governments between 1989 and 2004.After the collapse of the communist system in Poland, the reconstruction of local government became the one of most important pillars of the 1989 political transformation within the country. These reforms significantly empowered local communities and created the system of local self-government. These reforms clearly distinguished Poland from other post- communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe. A number of decentralization policies are accepted in the Polish local governments. Second wave of reforms pursued this decentralization trend in 1998 and 1999 respectively. With the membership to European Union on 2004 caused new reforms in the local government system of Poland. In this study, the process of decentralization and main actors in regional policies are analyzed. Poland is known as most decentralized country in Central and Eastern Europe through these reforms within the country.

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