What is the optimal model of the administrative division of Poland?

In 1975 the Polish communist authorities brought about a radical change in the administrative division of the country. The government acted in a high-handed manner without seeking an opinion from the society. The traditional three-tier administrative system that had existed since 1919 was replaced by a two-tier division into small voivodships and communes. The new system turned out to be inefficient since most voivodships were not economically independent whereas the communes were incapable of assuming some supra-local functions inherited from the former districts. After the transition of the political system in Poland in 1989, the need for a radical and modern reform of the administrative division of the country is becoming more and more urgent. It should be accompanied by the establishment of a self-governing system on all administrative levels. There are many different schemes of a new division. The number of proposed voivodships varies from 5 to 30. Some authors propose to keep unchanged the present number of 49 units but would providie them with self-governing prerogatives. The author of the present paper opts for a division of Poland into 12-14 regions. It corresponds to the traditional administrative divisions of the country and to the administrative systems that functioned between the World Wars and after the Second World War until 1975. Moreover, such a division approximates to the administrative divisions that exist in the European Community Poland wants to join. The localisation of supra-local institutions such as courts, colleges, hospitals etc. indicates a need to resurect the poviats (districts) because in the present situation the communes have no capability of assuming these supra-local functions.Autor, nawiązując do różnych nowych koncepcji podziału administracyjnego Polski, opowiada się za podziałem na 12-14 regionów. Z jednej strony, podział taki jest najbardziej zbliżony do historycznych struktur regionalnych Polski, a także podziałów administracyjnych kraju w okresie międzywojennym i powojennym do 1975 r., z drugiej zaś - najbliższy standardom podziału regionalnego krajów Europy Zachodniej. Istnieje też potrzeba odtworzenia powiatów, gdyż gminy nie są w stanie spełniać wielu funkcji ponadlokalnych.Zadanie pt. „Digitalizacja i udostępnienie w Cyfrowym Repozytorium Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego kolekcji czasopism naukowych wydawanych przez Uniwersytet Łódzki” nr 885/P-DUN/2014 zostało dofinansowane ze środków MNiSW w ramach działalności upowszechniającej naukę