Sejmiks

Sejmik, plural sejmiki, is the regional assembly of a voivodeship in Poland. In its modern form, a sejmik is the legislative and oversight body of the voivodeship, elected by residents of the voivodeship and responsible for setting regional policy and supervising the executive. The term also denotes historic assemblies in the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, where sejmiki convened to discuss regional affairs and to elect deputies to the royal parliament or to coordinate parliamentary matters.

In the present Polish system, there are 16 voivodeship sejmiks. Members (councilors) are elected in local elections by proportional representation for four-year terms. The sejmik elects the marshal of the voivodeship, who heads the regional government, and the voivodeship board (zarząd województwa). It adopts the voivodeship's budget and development strategy, passes resolutions on regional matters, and exercises oversight over the executive body and its administration. The sejmik can request information, summon officials, and initiate inquiries.

The voivodeship authorities operate within a framework of relations with the central government, with the voivode acting as the central government's representative in the region and the marshal representing the voivodeship's interests. Sejmiks thus play a key role in decentralised governance and regional planning, coordinating with municipalities and the central authorities on issues such as transport, education, healthcare, and economic development.