Aleksander Miszalski has announced a reversal of the controversial Sunday parking fees that were in effect in central Kraków. The change will take effect on 1 May this year and is a direct response to public dissatisfaction. This decision comes amid an intensifying campaign for a referendum on the mayor's recall, which has already gathered over 54,000 signatures.

End of Sunday Fees

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

Referendum Pressure

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

Opposition Allegations

The mayor's opponents, including Łukasz Gibała, criticize him for increasing the city's debt and unfulfilled election promises.

Kraków Mayor Aleksander Miszalski announced a significant correction to the parking policy in the capital of Małopolska. From 1 May 2026, drivers will no longer have to pay for parking in the paid parking zone on Sundays. This decision marks a return to the situation before the recent reform, which sparked strong public resistance and became a key political fuel for the opposition. Experts indicate that this sudden U-turn 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 Łukasz Gibała is named, accuse the incumbent mayor of ineffectiveness in managing the city. The main points of criticism concern the growing debt of Kraków, controversial personnel policies, and the lack of a promised deep audit after the 22-year rule of Jacek Majchrowski. By Tuesday, after 21 days of signature collection, nearly 55,000 residents had signed the recall petition. According to procedure, the next update on the number of signatures will be announced this coming Friday. Jacek Majchrowski governed Kraków continuously from 2002 to 2024, making it the longest tenure as city mayor in the history of Polish local government after 1990.The mayor's actions are interpreted as an attempt to regain political initiative and neutralize arguments from the side seeking to shorten his term. Miszalski, the leader of the local Civic Coalition, faces the challenge of reconciling ambitious city modernization plans with rising living costs and the electorate's limited patience. „Residents will no longer have to pay for parking on Sundays in the city center from 1 May.” — Aleksander Miszalski Support for the Referendum in Kraków: Number of signatures collected: 54537, Required minimum: 5100054 537 — signatures collected for the mayor's recallChanges in Kraków Parking Fees: Sunday Parking: paid → free; Effective Date: currently → 1 May 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-serving mayor of Kraków, in office from 2002 to 2024.