Gliwice Mayor Narrowly Survives Budget Vote Amid Referendum Threat

The mayor of Gliwice, Katarzyna Kuczyńska-Budka, narrowly avoided a motion that could have triggered a recall referendum after the city council failed to reach a majority on a budget discharge vote.

The Budget and Discharge Vote

The failure to grant a discharge of budget responsibilities would have allowed councilors to initiate a referendum to remove Kuczyńska-Budka from office, making the audit committee’s recommendation a focal point of recent public debate. Gliwice’s 2025 financial statement reported 2.079 billion PLN in revenue and 2.010 billion PLN in expenditures, with a budget surplus of 68.8 million PLN. The Regional Audit Office (RIO) issued a positive opinion on the budget execution.

Councilor Łukasz Chmielewski of the PiS party argued that the 2025 budget lacked thrift and administrative efficiency, citing low spending on capital projects and investments supported by EU and national funds. In her defense, Kuczyńska-Budka stated that the discharge process is an assessment of financial management, not political sympathy. She emphasized that the city’s financial situation remains stable, noting that Fitch Ratings has maintained a high creditworthiness indicator for Gliwice.

During the vote on the discharge, 12 councilors voted against granting it, while 12 voted in favor and one was absent, leaving the measure one vote short of the absolute majority required to proceed with referendum proceedings.

Vote of Confidence and Political Friction

Former mayor Adam Neumann delivered a two-hour speech during the vote of confidence debate, criticizing Kuczyńska-Budka for halting a municipal hospital project in favor of a clinical hospital. He accused the current administration of trading concrete plans for empty promises and claimed Kuczyńska-Budka has taken credit for the work of his administration without fostering substantive progress or official initiative.

Kuczyńska-Budka dismissed the accusations, explaining that she is continuing beneficial projects initiated by her predecessors and expects future successors to do the same. She highlighted that land for the clinical hospital has been transferred to the Silesian Medical University, with necessary approvals secured and funding requests submitted to the Ministry of Health.

Deputy Minister of Science Marek Gzik defended the mayor, characterizing the opposition’s charges as political. He argued that the clinical hospital project is essential for the city’s prestige and the provision of specialized medical care. The vote of confidence ultimately failed with 10 votes in favor, 11 against, and 3 abstentions. If the mayor fails to receive a vote of confidence again in 2027, the council will be eligible to pass a resolution to hold a recall referendum.