Szaflary mayor remains in office after failed referendum

Rafał Szkaradziński will remain the mayor of Szaflary after a referendum to remove him from office was declared invalid due to low voter turnout. Although 729 residents voted in favor of his removal compared to only 26 against, the turnout reached only 8.78 percent.

To meet the legal requirement for a valid local referendum, at least 2,159 residents needed to participate, which represents three-fifths of the number of people who voted in the 2024 local elections. Only 758 ballots were issued out of 8,630 eligible voters.

The movement to remove the mayor was driven by several grievances, including municipal debt, investment policies, and management issues. A primary point of contention was the long-running geothermal project, which began in 2016 and aimed to create one of the world's deepest geothermal wells. While the project reached a depth of approximately 6 km, residents expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of implementation and the perceived benefits to the community.