MARSZAŁKOWIE WOJEWÓDZTW JAKO POLITYCY REGIONALNI
POLISH REGIONAL PRIME MINISTERS AS REPRESENTATIVES OF REGIONAL COMMUNITIES AND REGIONAL POLITICIANS

Summary/Abstract: The article investigates the careers of Polish Regional Prime Ministers (marszałkowie województw) applying the concept of multilevel settings. The question of what their career paths are is critical in the context of whether Polish Regional Prime Ministers see themselves as representatives of regional communities. One can argue, for example, that when politicians choose regional careers or treat regional offices as a step towards further careers on the national level, this has an impact on how they perform their role, especially in relation to being representatives of regional communities. Analysis of the careers of Polish Regional Prime Ministers in the period 1999–2016 reveals five particularly important features. First, about a quarter of those careers can be classified as regional careers. This type of professional career appeared mostly after 2006 and 2007. Second, offices of Polish Regional Prime Ministers have been filled by professional politicians, which is rather surpris- ing, especially as the term of office for Regional Prime Ministers is short (although some were reappointed). Third, although in the majority of cases the term of office in this position is short, for those who make this their career choice regional careers have become a viable option (due to the possibility of holding positions as regional ministers). Fourth, the careers of the Polish regional elite can be singled out from the wider trends seen in Western Europe in relation to their political experience prior to promotion to Regional Prime Ministers. For some politicians appointed to this role, it was their first professional post and this is characteristic of Polish careers not only in the period of the launching of regional government. Finally, movements among positions at various levels were relatively intensive, in fact much higher than expected.

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