Aleksander Miszalski announced a correction to the rules: a project to exempt Kraków residents from parking fees on Sundays in subzone A, where fees have applied since January 31, 2026; fees are to remain for other drivers. The change will take effect on May 1 of this year and is a direct response to public dissatisfaction. This decision was made as a campaign to hold a referendum on the mayor's recall intensified, having already gathered over 54,000 signatures.

End of Sunday Fees

Mayor Aleksander Miszalski restores free parking on Sundays in central Kraków from May 1.

Referendum Pressure

Within 21 days, 54,537 signatures were collected for a petition to recall the current city mayor.

Opposition Allegations

The mayor's opponents, including Łukasz Gibała, point to the city's growing debt and unfulfilled election promises.

Mayor of Kraków Aleksander Miszalski announced a significant correction to the parking policy of the capital of Lesser Poland. From May 1, 2026 (if the City Council adopts the resolution), Kraków residents holding a Kraków Card are to be exempt from parking fees on Sundays in subzone A of the Kraków paid parking zone; other drivers will still have to pay. This decision marks a return to the state before the recent reform, which sparked strong public resistance and became one of the main political fuels for the opposition. Experts indicate that this sudden reversal aims to calm tensions in the face of the specter of a local referendum. The political situation in Kraków is becoming increasingly tense. The initiators of the referendum campaign, among whom the name Łukasz Gibała appears, accuse the incumbent mayor of ineffectiveness in managing the city. The main points of criticism concern the growing debt of Kraków, controversial personnel policy, and the lack of the promised deep audit after the 22-year rule of Jacek Majchrowski. As of Tuesday, after 21 days of collection, nearly 55,000 residents have signed the petition for recall. According to the procedure, the next update on the number of signatures will be announced this coming Friday. Jacek Majchrowski ruled Kraków continuously from 2002 to 2024, making him the longest-serving mayor of Kraków and one of the longest-serving city mayors in Poland after 1990.The mayor's actions are interpreted as an attempt to regain political initiative and neutralize the arguments of the side seeking to shorten his term. Miszalski, who is the leader of the local Civic Coalition, faces the challenge of reconciling ambitious city modernization plans with rising living costs and the limited patience of the electorate. „Mieszkańcy od 1 maja nie będą już musieli płacić za parkowanie w niedzielę w centrum miasta.” (Residents will no longer have to pay for parking on Sundays in the city center from May 1.) — Aleksander Miszalski Number of signatures collected (declared by the committee on a given day): 54,537. Required minimum for a referendum petition: approx. 58,355 valid signatures (10% of eligible voters), after verification.[{"aspekt": "Parking on Sundays", "przed": "paid", "po": "free"}, {"aspekt": "Effective date", "przed": "currently", "po": "May 1, 2026"}]

Mentioned People

  • Aleksander Miszalski — Current Mayor of Kraków, leader of the local Civic Coalition structures.
  • Łukasz Gibała — Kraków councilor and entrepreneur, leader of the Kraków for Residents Association.
  • Jacek Majchrowski — Long-time Mayor of Kraków serving from 2002 to 2024.