Well-functioning local government is one of the fundamental guarantees of civil liberty. The talk will discuss the transformation of local government in Poland, its successes, failures, and main features, which include public-private partnership, participatory budgeting, and civil society. Consul General Gacek was born in Great Britain. She is a graduate of the University of Oxford and has a degree in Philosophy, Politics. She became a member of the EU Parliament in 2007.