 A New Model of Public Safety Management in the Voivodeship - The Voivode's TasksMalgorzata Polinceusz, Adriana Kaszuba-Perz and Anna Gladysz European Research Studies Journal, 2025, vol. XXVIII, issue 4, 680-692 Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to define and analyze the role of the voivode as a local government body responsible for protecting public safety and order, both before and after the changes introduced in Poland by the new Act of December 5, 2024, on Population Protection and Civil Defense. The paper aims to present the voivode's responsibilities under the new legal system, and to indicate the extent to which this reform has strengthened their position as a key entity responsible for coordinating activities in the sphere of public safety, order, and population protection. The article also highlights the systemic consequences of the new regulations and their impact on relations between the government and local government. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study utilizes a dogmatic legal method and an institutional analysis, supplemented by a comparative legal approach, which allows fan assessment of the differences between the previous and current legal frameworks regarding the voivode's powers. Findings: The analysis indicates that the provisions of the Act of December 5, 2024, on Population Protection and Civil Defense significantly expanded the scope of the voivode's powers in the areas of public safety, population protection, and civil defense. Compared to the previous legal status, the voivode has become not only a coordinator but also a key authority responsible for the organization, supervision, and cooperation of entities comprising the local population protection system. At the same time, the provisions of the Act imprecisely regulate the voivode's relationship with local government units, which in practice may raise doubts about the legality of the voivode's actions and potentially excessive interference with the constitutionally protected autonomy of local government. Practical implication: Clarifying the scope of coordination, cooperation, supervision, management, and collaboration between the voivode and local government authorities appears crucial to ensuring both the effectiveness of civil protection activities and respect for the principle of decentralization of public authority. Whether the new regulations, while strengthening the security system in Poland, will also pose a potential threat to the autonomy of local governments remains to be seen. Originality/Value: The issue of redefining the role of the voivode within the system of security authorities in Poland in the context of the changes introduced by the Act on Civil Protection and Civil Defense has not been widely analyzed in the literature. This paper provides a synthetic and comparative overview of these changes and formulates de lege ferenda postulates that can serve as a starting point for further discussion on changes that increase the transparency and effectiveness of the security system in Poland and their effects, which may threaten the constitutionally protected autonomy of Polish local governments. Keywords: Voivode; security; civil protection; civil defense; local government. (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ers:journl:v:xxviii:y:2025:i:4:p:680-692 Access Statistics for this article More articles in European Research Studies Journal from European Research Studies Journal |
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