Institutional participation of elderly people in the functioning of local governments: the realities and legislative assumptions

Abstract

In view of the demographic changes and the increasing proportion of elderly people in Poland, it seems important to analyse the institutional participation of seniors in the functioning of local governments (including in terms of their participation in the life of the local community). From the legal point of view, one of the institutional forms of participation/co-determination of senior citizens at the municipal level (according to the Act on Municipal Self-Government) is the council of senior citizens. In practice, however, the insufficient activity of senior citizens’ councils, attempts at their politicization, as well as variations in their activity in different parts of the country, have been observed. The article aims to determine the role of the institution of senior citizens’ councils as a form of social participation and possible changes to the rules of operation, and the legal basis of the institution that could be implemented. To achieve this objective, a non-reactive research method was used, which contained an analysis of the content of legal acts, case law and available statistical data. As a result, the following conclusion was drawn: seniors’ councils appeared to be the weakest form of social participation in local government units. Thus, to strengthen its significance, this institution requires additional legislative changes, such as determining the scope of competence of senior citizens’ councils and clarifying the general composition of the councils.