Solving problems, not winning arguments

The by-election to choose a new wójt for gmina Chynów (leader of rural municipality council) resulted in an overwhelming victory for Piotr Bernaciak, the youngest of the three candidates – the one associated with neither PSL nor PiS. 

I was surprised by the turnout (57%) – astonishingly high for a local by-election – and by the scale of Piotr's victory (55.6% with the other candidates, Stanisław Mróz on 30.6% and Zbigniew Sobieraj on 13.8%). Local media had conducted an opinion poll which placed Mr Sobieraj first on 34% and the others on 30% each. My own observational polling (based on the number of banners hung out on fences) had Mr Mróz on first place.

But it's not just banners. Piotr Bernaciak was active on social media. Change is in the air, even in the Polish countryside. There seems to be a desire for a break with the old ways of doing things locally.

So hearty congratulations to Piotr Bernaciak, whom I'd met picking up litter, before the sudden death in September of the previous wójt, Tadeusz Zakrzewski, had triggered the by-election.

What I liked about Piotr's CV was the fact that this was a young man who has been active in local politics since the age of 18 and who was born in the gmina, in Sułkowice. He had also set up Stowarzyszenie Przyjaciół Gminy Chynów (the association of friends of the Chynów municipality), which organises those local clean-up events – I took part in three of them this year and Piotr was present at each one.

There's something inherently practical about local politics; it's about outcomes rather than worldviews. It's about getting things done, solving problems, rather than winning arguments or scoring party-political points. Listening to Polish Radio Trójka, I get sick listening to the perpetual mudslinging between representatives of political parties and simply switch the radio off when these dreadful bores take to the air. What does matter locally is practical stuff like pavements, water-treatment plants, street lighting, waste recycling and zoning/planning permission.

Local leaders (wójt, burmistrz or prezydent miasta depending on the size/population of the administrative unit) tend to stay on in power for many terms of office if they deliver development and order. Those that focus on ideology at the expense of practical achievements quickly get the boot. The previous wójt, Tadeusz Zakrzewski, was on his fourth term of office, for which he'd won 78% of the vote. He was well-liked because he'd been delivering tangible results since 2010.

Gmina Chynów has come a long way since I bought my działka here eight years ago. In fact, it had already been moving rapidly in the right direction before that. The fact that there was asphalt up the lane and proper drains rather than septic tanks was crucial in my decision to buy here. Since then, plenty of new asphalt has appeared here and there, improving life for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and farmers. New shops, new eateries are opening up, and generally things are getting better and better.

I'd say the biggest issues facing the new wójt will be handling the two big infrastructure projects that hang over the area. These are the route that Warsaw's orbital motorway will take south of the capital, and the railway part of the grand CPK project as it runs through Chynów. Both are ultimately decided at national level, but the interface between the works and the local population as these projects as they are rolled out over the coming decade will have a huge impact on quality of life. Will, for example, my two local level crossings be closed? Will pedestrian access to the station be improved?

Personally, my local issues are the fight against fly-tipping and litter (this disgraceful view, left,  I snapped today on Chynów's ulica Główna – literally our Main Street), better connectivity for walkers (more footpaths through fields, forests and orchards) and a clearer gmina website where you can see what infrastructure projects are being discussed and which ones are being proceeded with, and when. And improvements to the bus service. Sure, there are new bus stops and new buses, but they run empty because there's little information on the bus stops themselves and no app for local services. Sure, PKS Grójec does have an app, but only for its bus routes going into Warsaw; Chynów and Góra Kalwaria don't even get a mention. Want to buy a ticket online? Sure, but only for the next day and print it off before you board the bus. This needs to change. I'd like to be able to buy a bus ticket to Grójec with the same ease I can buy a train ticket to Warsaw.

Below: I hope the DK50 does not end up being turned into Warsaw's orbital motorway. 

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