Since Poland overthrown communism in 1989 it has transformed itself into a stable democracy with a multiparty political system and free and fair elections. From the beginning of 1990-s it has met the requirements for European accession and on May 1st, 2004 became a member of the European Union.

Political system
Poland is governed by means of a mixed parliamentary and cabinet system. Power is divided between the legislative authority: the lower chamber of the parliament - Sejm, and the upper chamber - Senate and, to a certain extent, the Constitutional Tribunal). The executive authority (the President, Prime Minister, and the Council of Ministers), and the judicial authority (an independent judicial system, with general, administrative, and military courts).

Governance and public administration
There are three levels of local self-government in Poland.
- townships and gminas (communes)
- poviats (counties)
- provinces (regions)

Gmina (commune) is a basic unit of local government and administration. Each gmina elects a council which appoints a board of executives to run the gmina accordingly to the council's resolutions.

Powiat was instated in 1998 as an intermediate unit between the gmina and the province, and some of the administrative duties and tasks devolved from central government to the territorial and/or local authorities

16 provinces were introduced in 1998 as mixed: governmental and self-governmental administrative units. Today they are independent self-governments responsible for local development. They also play an important role in implementing EU funding in Poland.