Direct democracy was not known in Poland in the period
before the World War II while in People's Poland there were no
proper conditions to implement it. The forms of direct democracy at
the local level are village meetings, general meetings of people in
a housing estate, consultations with gmina inhabitants, and a
gmina referendum (local referendum). In a housing estate
(osiedle) but not in a town district (dzielnica), direct democracy
is admissible in the form of the general assembly of the estate.
Changes in the current binding model of local authorities entail
changes in the decisions concerning referendums. An example of such
modifications can be the direct elections of the commune head
(wójt), town mayor or town president.
Key words: direct democracy, local level,
Poland, citizen participation, referendum