Yes! For Poland

Yes! For Poland
Local Governments for Poland
Tak! Dla Polski
Samorządy dla Polski
AbbreviationT!DPL
LeaderJacek Karnowski [pl]
Founded31 August 2020 (2020-08-31)
Registered6 October 2020 (2020-10-06)
Headquartersul. Kartuska 81/6
80-136 Gdańsk
Membership (2021)500[1]
IdeologyRegionalism
Localism
Decentralization
Pro-Europeanism
Progressivism
Political positionCentre-left[2]
National affiliationSenate Pact 2023 (for 2023 Senate election)
Colours  White
  Red
Sejm
2 / 460
Senate
1 / 100
European Parliament
0 / 52
Regional assemblies
4 / 552
City Presidents
16 / 107
Website
ruchtakdlapolski.pl

Yes! For Poland (Polish: Tak! Dla Polski; T!DPL), officially called Association "Local Governments for Poland" (Polish: Stowarzyszenie „Samorządy dla Polski”) is a Polish association and a local government movement founded on 31 August 2020 in Gdańsk. It is the largest association of local government activists in Poland.[3] Founded by officials of over 300 local governments in Poland, the party advocates for decentralisation of power, democratisation of the Polish school system, environmentalism, renewal and decentralisation of the health service and creation of an expansive development fund for local and regional projects.[4] T!DPL believes that a powerful local government is the foundation of sound democracy and declared that "only a Poland built from the bottom up, from the most basic foundation which is the gmina, will be a strong, independent, secure and democratic European country". The movement especially focuses on empowering and representing small gminas and villages, considered underrepresented under the current Polish system.[4]

The party is heavily critical of the government led by Law and Justice, accusing it of undermining local governments, recentralisation of Poland and undermining institutions of Polish Democracy. T!DPL is heavily aligned with the opposition parties such as Civic Platform, Polish People's Party and The Left and maintained its intention to cooperate with these parties and to avoid vote splitting.[5] In May 2022, the party announced formal cooperation with the main four opposition parties - Civic Platform, PSL, The Left and Poland 2050; the leaders of the four opposition parties signed a declaration prepared by the Yes! For Poland, pledging decentralisation and strengthening local autonomies, providing local governments with more funding and creating a special fund for small municipalities.[6] The party joined the Senate Pact with these parties, and announced its 6 main goals which include "democratic schools", "green local governments", "decentralised healthcare", "Local Poland Development Fund", "self-governing communities" and "stable budgets".[7]

  1. ^ "Ruch Samorządowy TAK! dla Polski", miasta.pl (in Polish), 15 December 2021
  2. ^ Todur, Wojciech; Jedlecki, Przemysław (1 May 2023). "Odwiedzamy "Czerwone Zagłębie", polityczny matecznik Lewicy. Kombatanci tęsknią za Gierkiem, ale nie decydują już o wyniku". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). Zagłębie Dąbrowskie to bastion polskiej lewicy. W wyborach parlamentarnych w 2019 roku lewicowe partie zanotowały w Sosnowcu, Będzinie czy Dąbrowie Górniczej najlepszy wynik w kraju. Teraz - przed jesiennym bojem o Sejm i Senat - liczą na więcej. [...] Arkadiusz Chęciński, prezydent Sosnowca, lider Ruchu Samorządowego Tak! dla Polski w województwie śląskim uważa, że jesienne wybory, w porównaniu z 2019 rokiem, niewiele zmienią w okręgu sosnowieckim. - Zmiany będą kosmetyczne. Poparcie dla lewicy jest u nas stale wysokie, ale od paru lat utrzymuje się na stałym poziomie, około 15 proc. [Zagłębie Dąbrowskie is a bastion of the Polish left. In the 2019 parliamentary elections, left-wing parties recorded the best result in the country in Sosnowiec, Będzin or Dąbrowa Górnicza. Now - before the autumn battle for the Sejm and the Senate - they are hoping for more. [...] Arkadiusz Chęciński, the mayor of Sosnowiec and the leader of the local government movement Yes! For Poland in the Silesian Voivodeship, believes that the autumn elections, compared to 2019, will change little in the Sosnowiec district. - The changes will be cosmetic. The support for the left is consistently high here, but it has been on the same level for a few years, around 15 per cent.]
  3. ^ "Powołano największe stowarzyszenie polskich samorządowców „Tak! Dla Polski"", Serwis Samorządowy PAP (in Polish)
  4. ^ a b "Powstał Ruch Samorządowy „Tak! Dla Polski". Celem jest walka o samorządną Rzeczpospolitą", gdansk.pl (in Polish), 15 December 2021
  5. ^ Rafał Guz (2 February 2023), "Karnowski i Trzaskowski: Ruch TAK! Dla Polski nie konkuruje z jakąkolwiek partią opozycyjną", gazetaprawna.pl (in Polish)
  6. ^ Leszek Szymański (25 May 2022), "Liderzy: PO, PSL, Lewicy i Polski 2050 podpisali deklarację samorządowców z Ruchu "TAK! Dla Polski"", gazetaprawna.pl (in Polish)
  7. ^ "Spotkanie Ruchu Samorządowego "Tak! Dla Polski" z liderami Lewicy", klub-lewica.org.pl (in Polish), 12 January 2022