Mayor Krzysztof Matyjaszczyk has called on Polish parliament to urgently establish a new Częstochowa Voivodeship, arguing the city’s economic potential merits a separate administrative region.
Mayor of Częstochowa Urges Immediate Action
Polsat News reports that Mayor Krzysztof Matyjaszczyk has written to MPs and senators, demanding the creation of a parliamentary team to “revive” the former Częstochowa Voivodeship. He insists that Częstochowa’s economic potential is too great to remain just part of the Silesian Voivodeship, and notes that the 23‑year‑old voivodeship had once been an important economic centre before administrative reforms at the end of the century diminished its role.
Arguments in Favor
In the letter, the mayor highlighted that Częstochowa is the largest city in Poland that does not serve as a voivodeship capital. He argues that a new voivodeship would help secure larger EU funds, attract investors, simplify the implementation of key projects for residents, and reinforce Częstochowa’s status as a hub of culture, sport and science. The mayor revived the idea in August, asking former Prime Minister Donald Tusk to examine the proposal and push for an administrative reform.
Proposal for Creating a Częstochowa Voivodeship
Earlier efforts to recreate the voivodeship surfaced in a 2011 referendum held during parliamentary elections. The idea was also promoted in 2015 by PiS politicians, including Andrzej Duda, who praised the concept during his presidential campaign, and by Mayor Matyjaszczyk. In 2017, PiS leadership postponed the initiative to the next Sejm term, but the situation remained unchanged. The voivodeship existed from 1975 to 1998 before being divided among Silesian, Opole, Łódź and Świętokrzyskie voivodeships after the administrative reform.
