Konwersatorium "Doświadczenie i Przyszłość" wobec zagadnień samorządności terytorialnej

Abstract

The political forum called Seminar ‘Experience and Future’, appointed in 1978, presented opinions of a considerable part of Polish intelligentsia during four years of its existence. In the published reports, a review of attitudes towards the shape of the political, and social system, and also the condition of the society and its awareness was made. Ideas of widespread social agreement and the cóntract between authorities and the society were propagated, as well as the introduction of a series of essential reforms aimed at making the state more law-abiding and efficient. The article analyses the contents of subsequent reports, which were prepared in the ‘Experience and Future’ circles (O stanie Rzeczpospolitej i drogach wiodących do jej naprawy, Jak z tego wyjść, Społeczeństwo wobec kryzysu, prawo, praworządność i gwarancje prawne). It presents the evolution of views, which preceded and inspired the development of Polish local government. It also discusses the process of specification of postulates and focuses attention initially on the problem of representation, then on the issues of local government, and finally on the solutions of the problem of the scope of local authority.