Encyklopedia Administracji Publicznej MW Pivot Skin

POLITICAL CABINET – a team of political advisers, closest, most trusted associates of: the president of the council of ministers and ministers in government administration. The p.c. perform mainly advisory functions of a programmatic and generally political nature. In the government administration they are the so-called political factor serving the executive – the administration serving the governance processes. P.c. of the president of the council of ministers functions in the structure of the chancellery of the president of the council of ministers, p.c. of the ministers – in the structures of individual ministries. Members of the p.c. (the so-called political officials) in the Polish system are excluded from the provisions on → civil service. Originally, these people were employed on clerical positions, but since 1997 the principle was adopted that political advisors of government officials holding executive positions in the government administration are employed only for the time the persons they advise are in office. The head of the p.c. acts as the direct supervisor of the advisers and is also an assistant to the president of the council of ministers/a minister. The functions of the p.c. of the prime minister and the p.c. of the minister are different – which is due to differences in the position and competence of the body for whom they provide service. The p.c. of the prime minister cooperates with p.c. of other members of the government, covering with their activities such matters as the programme and political issues of the council of ministers (government policy). The p.c. of the minister fulfils the tasks related to the substantial and political strategy of the ministry, it cooperates with p.c. of other members of the government. In government administration in Poland the number of members of p.c. is not defined. Until September 2017, the term p.c. was also used to mean a team of closest associates (→ assistants and → advisors) of village mayors/mayors/presidents of cities, voivodship marshals in local government administration (in 2017 these positions, introduced in 2008 in the Act on local government employees, were liquidated, there was a limit for both position groups) [ J. Itrich-Drabarek, E. Zielińska ].

Literature: M. Kulesza, A. Barbasiewicz, Gabinety polityczne w polskim ustroju administracyjnym [Political cabinets in the Polish administrative system], [in:] Gabinety polityczne. Narzędzie skutecznego rządzenia [Political cabinets. A tool for effective governing], ed. D. Bach-Golecka, Kraków – Nowy Sącz 2007.