National Council (Poland)

National Council (Polish: Rada Narodowa) was a local level of government in People's Republic of Poland.

Introduced by Polish Constitution of 1952, they were elected for a term of office of 3 years in gminas, cities (and some districts), powiats and voivodeships.

In fact the elections were non-free, and National Councils had little autonomy, being almost completely dependent on decisions of Polish United Workers Party (PZPR).

It was only the Act on the organization and scope of operation of national councils that specified the competences of councils by granting them legislative functions of local government, planning public activities, determining the budget and benefit plan, controlling the activities of state and local executive bodies, and appointing self-government executive bodies.

[2] Councils could coordinate the intentions of centrally managed socialized economy units operating in their area.

An obligation of participation of socialized economy units in the costs of construction of communal facilities was introduced.

Their legal position, however, was strengthened by the act through decisive participation in the process of appointing voivodes, equipping them with powers over all bodies performing the tasks of the voivodeship national council and organizational units subordinated to it, including the possibility of providing the voivode with guidelines in the form of resolutions.