Pathologies, connections, and the opposition's strange attitude. An emotional open letter from a councilor.

Contents

A year after the local elections, councilor Sławomir Ćwikła published an emotional and uncompromising open letter in which he not only summarizes the actions of his councilors' club but also sharply criticizes Mayor Marek Długozima, council chairman Mateusz Stanisz, and some of the opposition. He accuses the municipal authorities of incompetence, nepotism, manipulating the message, and some Civic Platform (PO) councilors of subservience to city hall.

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Councilor Ćwikła begins his letter by recalling the recent City Council session, during which resolutions were passed granting the mayor discharge and a vote of confidence. In his opinion, this constituted a serious violation of the law.

"For the first time in almost 20 years of his rule, Mayor Marek Długozima received neither a vote of confidence nor a discharge for 2024. What message was conveyed? They trumpeted a 'success,' which in reality turned out to be a failure ," writes Ćwikła, adding: "The Chairman of the City Council, Mr. Mateusz Stanisz, came to the rescue—as if on a white horse—and clumsily tried to explain away the obvious embarrassment. In my opinion, due to his lack of knowledge, he made us all look foolish. Mr. Stanisz allowed the adoption of a resolution granting the mayor a vote of confidence and a discharge for the implementation of the 2024 budget, even though the mayor did not actually receive them. I have appealed these resolutions to the Regional Chamber of Audit and the Lower Silesian Voivode. The legal analysis is ongoing, but there can only be one outcome: the resolutions granting the vote of confidence and a discharge for 2024 will be invalidated as not having been adopted in accordance with the law."

According to the councilor, this situation shows how far the mayor and his entourage are determined to maintain the appearance of support.

The chairman of the City Council, Mateusz Stanisz, has also been criticized. Ćwikła accuses him of bias and inability to lead a debate. He further points to the chairman's personal involvement in defending the mayor, even though, as council chairman, he should be familiar with basic regulations.

- Mr. Stanisz says that "such things happen" - well, I want to tell you that no, such things do not happen unless you are an ignorant or incompetent person - sums up the councilor.

The councilor also presents the achievements of his three-member Civic Coalition club. He writes that his club submitted 10 parliamentary questions and five draft resolutions. All concerned issues important to residents, from free transport for seniors to transparency in municipal employment. He claims that all were rejected simply because they originated with the opposition. Among the submitted bills was a resolution on the rules for avoiding conflicts of interest between officials and their immediate families (a ban on granting contracts to officials' family members). This is the result of the disclosure of contracts concluded, for example, with the son of the treasurer or the son of the deputy mayor.

"Since they can't (or don't want to) discuss the issue of the Treasurer and Deputy Mayor signing municipal contracts for their own sons, it's easiest to ridicule the topic and call it "stupid." When the municipality loses almost 7 million złoty due to a lost lawsuit against the KOWR, no one in power is interested in finding the culprit. Any uncomfortable questions are swept under the rug ," writes the councilor.

According to Ćwikła, none of his club's proposals have been taken seriously, which demonstrates how entrenched the current system in the commune is. He criticizes councilors from the mayor's club for their silence.

Passivity is an understatement. They haven't submitted a single draft resolution of their own, nor have they submitted a single question or interpellation throughout the entire year ," he points out.

Further in the letter, the councilor accuses the mayor of building a system of personal dependencies. He claims that people close to the government are employed in the office and municipal units.

"However, this is hardly surprising, since the Chairman of the City Council (Mateusz Stanisz) and the Chairman of the Complaints, Motions, and Petitions Committee (Mateusz Kempa) work in organizational units of the municipality. How could they possibly control the mayor – their superior? They don't, and why would they? If they tried, Mr. Stanisz, for example, probably wouldn't have received funding for his studies at Collegium Humanum from the municipal swimming pool company – and it's common knowledge that he received such a subsidy, " says Sławomir Ćwikła, adding:

"Many family members of councilors and village heads (e.g., Councilwoman Ciepluch or Councilor Gajowy) work full-time in the municipality or municipal companies. So why would these councilors be active or critical of the government? They would lose out... Losing membership cards in the "Municipal Workers' Cooperative" and the "Municipal Travel Agency" – after all, this is a system that guarantees cushy jobs and various privileges to the loyalists. Imagine, to this day, I don't even know the opinions of many councilors from the mayor's group. Interestingly, they haven't spoken out on a single issue for over a year. They haven't uttered a single word of comment at a session or committee meeting. Total silence."

The most surprising part of the letter, however, is the criticism of some opposition figures, especially Civic Platform councilors. Ćwikła accuses them of inconsistency and subservience:

"I'm concerned about the attitude of some of the opposition. We couldn't always count on 100% support for our initiatives from the Civic Platform (PO) caucus. We were astonished to learn that there was an attempt to "poach" Councilor Madalińska (which would have resulted in the liquidation of our three-person caucus and the lack of legislative initiative). We watched with disbelief when, in the fall of 2024 – at a time when the Civic Platform (PO) District Board had signed a coalition agreement with Marek Długozima – the Civic Platform (PO) caucus in the City Council abstained from voting on the municipal budget for 2025. Finally, to this day, I don't understand the decision for Civic Platform (PO) councilors to abstain from voting on the last discharge and vote of confidence in the mayor, whom Civic Platform (PO) councilors had been harshly criticizing all year. What's going on here? " writes the councilor.

According to Ćwikła, this attitude is the result of behind-the-scenes talks and attempts to build relationships with the city hall.

"I have the impression that behind-the-scenes talks are once again underway between Civic Platform (PO) activists and Mr. Długozima. If they're not, they'll probably deny it. This will be good for the transparency of public life. Wouldn't it? It's sad, because we all know the impact Mr. Długozima's government (constantly since 2006) has had on local government in Trzebnica, " the councilor writes.

In his letter, Ćwikła devotes considerable attention to the need for transparency in public life, emphasizing the role of independent media.

"The position of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in our municipality is very weak. Those that do exist are, in a sense, "regulated" – they operate under the watchful eye of the authorities. This reminds me of an anecdote from the early 1990s, when Mieczysław Wachowski was said to be the eminence grise in the Presidential Palace during Lech Wałęsa's time. There was a saying then: "He who doesn't fight with Miecio, gets swept away by Miecio," and another: "He who fights with Miecio, gets killed by Miecio." It's similar here – except our "Miecio" is a different M. Councilor announces that he will continue running the Jawna Trzebnica portal. "It's our control tool. We show who votes how, who speaks up, who is silent, and who uses public money as if it were their own pocketbook," the councilor reminds, adding:

"Those who don't support Marek (Długozima) will gain nothing. To put it bluntly: those who don't kneel before the government may "die of hunger"—meaning they won't receive a penny of public funding for their activities. This is blatant pathology."

Despite numerous adversities, Ćwikła announces the continuation of his activities and promises that he will not give in to pressure.

"I also hope that some in the opposition will stop seeking praise for their passivity and subservience to the government. I hope that instead they will support us in discovering the truth and keeping the government accountable ," he declares.

At the end of the letter, he appeals to residents to be vigilant and interested in local politics.

- I hope that I will have enough energy to continue to represent you with dignity and work for the benefit of our community: to ask questions, to monitor, to criticize when necessary, to praise good moves, and also to propose ideas that – I hope – will ultimately be recognized by the majority of councilors as good and beneficial for our community - he concludes.

Councilor Sławomir Ćwikła's letter is one of the most powerful statements in recent years. His uncompromising assessment of the situation in Trzebnica's local government and accusations directed not only at the authorities but also at some of the opposition prompted us to interview all the heads of the councillors' clubs operating in our municipality.

On Thursday, we've invited Mateusz Stanisz from the councilors' club "Marek Długozima - Efektni dla Rozwoju" (Mark Długozima - Effective for Development), Iwona Kurowska from the councilors' club "Platforma Obywatelska" (Civic Platform), and Sławomir Ćwikła , the author of the letter and head of the Civic Coalition councilors' club, to our podcast. We look forward to an engaging discussion.

Dear Residents,

I'm writing to you—and only you—with a personal commentary on what's happened to me since taking the oath of office in Trzebnica and my perspective on the current state of local politics. This may hurt some of those I'm about to describe, but you—the residents—deserve honesty.

We need to talk about Trzebnica and its local government, regardless of differences of opinion. Such a discussion is necessary to eliminate the pathologies we all see and observe in the future.

For the first time in nearly 20 years of his tenure, Mayor Marek Długozima received neither a vote of confidence nor a vote of approval for 2024. What message was conveyed? They heralded a "success" that, in reality, turned out to be a failure. Is it possible? ;-) In Trzebnica, it is possible.

To the rescue – as if on a white horse – came the Chairman of the City Council, Mr. Mateusz Stanisz, who clumsily attempted to explain away this obvious embarrassment. In my opinion, through his lack of knowledge, he made us all look foolish. Mr. Stanisz allowed the resolution to grant the mayor a vote of confidence and discharge for the implementation of the 2024 budget to be passed, even though the mayor did not actually receive them.

I have appealed these resolutions to the Regional Chamber of Audit and the Lower Silesian Voivode. Legal analysis is ongoing, but there can only be one outcome: the resolutions on the vote of confidence and discharge for 2024 will be invalidated as not having been adopted in accordance with the law.

To date, we haven't even heard the word "sorry" for this situation. Instead, we've been served a package of half-truths and intrusive propaganda that attempts to turn their own failure into success. The latest issue of the municipal bulletin, Panorama Trzebnicka, fails to mention that the mayor received neither a vote of approval nor a vote of confidence. Apparently, the mayor can't admit that not all the time, even his supporters (both open and hidden), will rise to the occasion. This time, he failed. Mr. Stanisz says that "these things happen" – well, I'm telling you, no, such things don't happen unless you're ignorant or incompetent.

As you know, there are three councilor clubs operating within the Trzebnica City Council. One—the largest—is the silent, 13-member "Effective for Development" club (supporters of the mayor). The second is the Civic Platform club (five councilors). The third is our three-member Civic Coalition club (Grażyna Madalińska, Krzysztof Śmiertka, and myself). Even though there are only three of us, I believe we have achieved our goals.

Our activity during the year: we have so far submitted 10 interpellations and inquiries on important matters of the commune, including: Playground in Skarszyn – inquiry by councilor Grażyna Madalińska, School in Boleścin – inquiry by councilor Grażyna Madalińska, Damage after heavy rains in the commune – inquiry by councilor Krzysztof Śmiertka, Traffic exclusion of Boleścin and Skarszyn – inquiry by councilor Grażyna Madalińska, Thermal modernization of the school in Boleścin – inquiry by councilor Grażyna Madalińska, Cooperation with partner cities (including URI) and the costs incurred – inquiry by councilor Sławomir Ćwikła, KOWR case – the amount of dues and payments awarded from the commune – inquiry by Sławomir Ćwikła, Construction of a sewerage network for Kobylice, Księginice and Jaszyce – inquiry by Sławomir Ćwikła, Conference “Smartphoneization” organized by people from Ordo Iuris – inquiry by Sławomir Ćwikła, GKS Polonia Trzebnica – circumstances of the liquidation of the sports club – interpellation by Sławomir Ćwikła

We were the only councilor club to prepare and submit five draft resolutions to the City Council: changing the name of the Lech and Maria Kaczyński Presidential Couple Park to Friendship Park, establishing the Audit Committee's work plan for 2025 in a reasonable manner, establishing an ad hoc committee to investigate the KOWR (Counter-Operative Workplace for the Rehabilitation of the Red Cross) on Czereśniowa Street (this concerns multi-million zloty damage to the Trzebnica commune), rules for avoiding conflicts of interest between officials and their immediate families (a ban on taking on contracts for family members of officials), and free travel on municipal public transport for people with special needs (and their caregivers) and for seniors 65+.

Moreover, we were the only councillors to submit a petition to the Mayor regarding the elimination of transport exclusion in the Trzebnica Commune – fighting for better public transport for our villages and estates in Trzebnica.

We've also contributed to the government's transparency by submitting dozens of requests for access to public information. Why so many? Because the government is trying to cover up many things, and you deserve the truth. That's why I launched the Jawna Trzebnica website (www.jawnatrzebnica.com) – which is intended to show you documents and facts about the municipality's activities. The portal launched last year. Although the website isn't functioning as well as I'd like, it has enormous potential. It's also read by those in power – and that's precisely the point. This way, they know their "vacation" is over: they are finally (and will be) under control.

Unfortunately, when it comes to our legislative initiatives, all of them have failed. We have the impression that in many cases, it was only because they were submitted by the opposition. It's a shame – especially the free travel plan for people with special needs, their caregivers, and seniors 65+, which could have really helped many residents. But since everything in the municipality is functioning so fantastically, unfortunately, there's no room for improvement, for those always "brilliant plans and strategies." It's a shame.

I've already written a bit about the municipal authorities, but I'll add some specifics. The authorities haven't engaged in any substantive discussion with us about our projects – they've bluntly called some of them "stupid." Since they can't (or won't) discuss the issue of the Treasurer and Deputy Mayor signing municipal contracts for their own sons, it's easiest to ridicule the topic and call it "stupid." When the municipality loses almost 7 million złoty due to a lost lawsuit against the KOWR, no one in power seems interested in finding the culprit. Any uncomfortable questions are swept under the rug.

Why is this happening? Firstly, these great "democracy enthusiasts" ruling the municipality—who only won about 45% of the vote in the elections but hold a majority of the seats—have appropriated 100% of the council committee chairperson positions for themselves. They hold a majority on every committee. There is not a single opposition representative on the City Council presidium. I believe this government is terrified of scrutiny and any unforeseen actions by independent councilors.

How are the councilors representing the mayor's majority behaving? Passivity is an understatement. They haven't submitted a single draft resolution of their own, nor have they submitted a single question or interpellation all year. This is hardly surprising, however, given that the Chairman of the City Council (Mateusz Stanisz) and the Chairman of the Complaints, Motions, and Petitions Committee (Mateusz Kempa) work in municipal organizational units. How, then, could they possibly control the mayor—their superior? They don't, and why would they? If they tried, Mr. Stanisz, for example, likely wouldn't have received funding for his studies at the Collegium Humanum from the municipal swimming pool company—even though it's common knowledge that he received such funding.

Many family members of councilors and village heads (e.g., Councilwoman Ciepluch and Councilor Gajowy) work full-time jobs in the municipality or municipal companies. So why would these councilors be active or critical of the government? Surely they would lose out...

Losing membership cards in the "Municipal Workers' Cooperative" and the "Municipal Travel Agency" – after all, this is a system that guarantees cushy jobs and various privileges to those loyal to it. Imagine, to this day, I don't even know the opinions of many councilors from the mayor's group. Interestingly, for over a year, they haven't spoken on a single issue. They haven't uttered a single word of comment at a session or committee meeting. Total silence.

The last session confirmed my belief that an election campaign is one thing, and that after the election, many things can happen. In the comments below this post, I'm sharing two statements that gave me a lot to think about – one by Mr. Długozima, the other by Mr. Stanisz.

What was said that was so important? Here are some key excerpts:

Mateusz Stanisz (addressing our KO club): "...there is such a difference – I'm not talking to you from the Civic Platform, but to the councillors from the Civic Coalition – that you wouldn't have come up with such ideas for the development of this commune, and you only criticize, you only try to slander the Trzebnica commune, and you don't notice the positive changes... this is a really harmful phenomenon."

Marek Długozima (to councilor Śmiertka from our club): "...you are a councilor, work, evaluate, help, cooperate, follow the example of the councilors (...) here on the right, also from the opposition, but what substance, what calm, and not suggesting some stupidity..."

Well, the issue is clear to me. If we sat quietly, ignored the authorities, didn't propose solutions, and voted for everything the Mayor proposed or abstained from voting, we would also have a chance of being called a "substantive opposition." However, in such circumstances, my mission—and the missions of Councilor Grażyna Madalińska and Councilor Krzysztof Śmiertka—would come to an end. A compliment from this government is the kiss of death for the true opposition. To be clear, we also vote for or abstain from voting on many legislative issues. But only when we believe it's good for the residents and honestly justified by the municipal authorities. Often, however, we are offered a blind vote. In such cases, we refuse to vote for this or that bill.

It's with a heavy heart, however, that I admit I'm concerned about the attitude of some in the opposition. We couldn't always count on 100% support from the Civic Platform (PO) caucus for our initiatives. We were astonished to learn that there was an attempt to "poach" Councilor Madalińska (which would have resulted in the liquidation of our three-person caucus and the lack of legislative initiative). We watched with disbelief when, in the fall of 2024 – at a time when the Civic Platform (PO) District Board had signed a coalition agreement with Marek Długozima – the Civic Platform (PO) caucus in the City Council abstained from voting on the municipal budget for 2025.

Finally, I still don't understand the decision by Civic Platform (PO) councilors to abstain from voting on the latest discharge and vote of confidence in the mayor, whom they had been harshly criticizing all year. What's going on here? I have the impression that behind-the-scenes talks between Civic Platform (PO) activists and Mr. Długozima are taking place again. If they don't, they'll likely deny it. This will be good for the transparency of public life. Isn't it? It's sad, because we all know the impact Mr. Długozima's government (constantly since 2006) has had on Trzebnica's local government.

And now a few words about the reality I'm observing. The position of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in our municipality is very weak. Those that do exist are, as it were, "regulated"—operating under the watchful eye of the authorities. This reminds me of an anecdote from the early 1990s, when Mieczysław Wachowski was said to be the eminence grise in the Presidential Palace during Lech Wałęsa's time. There was a saying back then: "He who doesn't fight Miecio, gets wiped out by Miecio," and another: "He who fights Miecio, gets killed by Miecio." It's similar here—except our "Miecio" is a different M.

There have been (and still are) many situations and events that clearly demonstrate—and this is incredibly sad—that those who don't support Marek (Długozima) will gain nothing. To put it bluntly: those who don't kneel before the authorities risk "starving"—meaning they won't receive a penny of public funding for their activities. This is blatant pathology. Trzebnica should support all active residents—regardless of their views and regardless of whether they're willing to take photos with the mayor. The social goals they want to achieve should be what counts, not political subservience.

What's next? The future depends on how the rule of law functions – especially the justice system. This is fundamental to holding abuses to account. In the longer term, I also hope that some in the opposition will stop seeking praise for passivity and subservience to the government. I hope that instead, they will support us – in discovering the truth and holding the government accountable.

It's not that I (and we, the opposition councilors, Grażyna and Krzysztof) have a bad time living in Trzebnica. We love this town and municipality. But we also know that life can be better for all of us—and that's precisely what we're working towards. We launched our election campaign with this slogan.

A year into our term, we still have four years of work ahead of us. I hope I have enough energy to continue representing you with dignity and working for our community: questioning, monitoring, criticizing when necessary, praising good moves, and proposing ideas that—I hope—will ultimately be recognized by the majority of councilors as good and beneficial for our community.

Thank you for your attention, and I count on your continued support. I'd especially like to thank Grażyna Madalińska and Krzysztof Śmiertka, as you are also residents of our community. You might feel a bit dissatisfied, but we've accomplished a lot.

Together we can do more! I look forward to your comments, both positive and negative, about your feelings. Because you've heard mine.

Your Councilor Sławomir Ćwikła