Editing Voivode (section)

==== Modern Poland ====
{{main|Voivodes of Poland (since 1999)}}
=====1991–1999=====
The reactivation, by the Act of 8 March 1990, of a self-governing commune with legal personality, its own sphere of public tasks, its own authorities and territory, independent of other local bodies of state (government) administration, forced a new look at the role of the voivode as a local body of state administration. The legal position of the voivode after 1990 was in line with the territorial division of the country, where communes were the basic territorial division units, while the voivodeship was the basic territorial division unit for the performance of government administration. In this concept, the voivode as a body of general government administration, in particular:
*Manages and coordinated the work and ensured the conditions for the operation of the government administration in the voivodeship, voivodeship services and inspections and others provincial units;
*Supervises the activities of local government units to the extent and on the terms specified by laws;
*Issues decisions in individual cases in the field of government administration belonging to its properties;
*Represents the State Treasury on the terms and to the extent specified by statutes and exercised the powers and duties of the founding body towards state-owned enterprises;
*Publishes the provincial official journal;
*Issues orders in matters within its jurisdiction;
*Performs other tasks specified by law.
The voivode was also a higher-ranking authority within the meaning of the regulations of the Code of Administrative Procedure in 
relations to heads of regional offices of general government administration and local government bodies within the scope of commissioned government administration tasks carried out by these bodies.

The voivode, as a representative of the government, also performed tasks commissioned by the Council of Ministers. He had the right to issue recommendations to local government administration bodies operating in the voivodeship and, in particularly justified cases, he could suspend the activities of each body conducting administrative enforcement for a specified period of time. Special administration bodies and municipal bodies, within the scope of government administration tasks performed by them, were obliged to provide the voivode, at his request, with explanations in every case conducted in the voivodeship. The voivode also issued opinions on the appointment and dismissal of heads of special administration and appointed and dismissed, in consultation with the competent minister, heads of services, inspections and other organizational units. However, in relation to state-owned companies, the voivode issued opinions on candidates for members of supervisory bodies appointed by the representative of the state treasury and had the right to nominate candidates for members of the company's supervisory body.

The position of voivodes at that time was justified by the fact that there was no self-government voivodeship, and the administrative voivodeship was strictly governmental in nature and was headed by the voivode as the land manager, who, together with the local government assembly, represented the voivodeship outside. However, its position was not as strong as before 1990, because the Constitutional Act of 1992 clearly indicated that local government was the basic form of organizing local public life, while other types of local government units were to be defined by law. Also, the establishment of new bodies - financial supervision in the form of the Regional Chamber of Accounts and the Adjudication Committee and Boards of Appeals changed the scope of competences of voivodes.

Within the scope of his competence and competence, the voivode as a representative of the government and the representative of the state's interests could organize control of tasks in the field of government administration, defined detailed objectives of the government's policy in the voivodeship, adapted to local conditions, coordinated the cooperation of all organizational units of government and local government administration operating on in the area of the voivodeship in the field of preventing threats to human life and health, environmental threats, maintaining public order and state security, protecting civil rights, preventing natural disasters, preventing threats as well as combating and removing their effects. The voivode also coordinated tasks in the field of defense and state security in the voivodeship, represented the government at state ceremonies and performed other tasks commissioned by the Council of Ministers. The [[Small Constitution of 1992]] did not assign any special tasks to the voivodes in the field of taking care of the development of the voivodeship or the development of its resources, because already then it was realized that the administrative division into 49 administrative units does not meet the requirements of the time and that the voivode is in fact not the host of region, but a representative of the Council of Ministers and, on its behalf, the Prime Minister.<ref name="Kasiński">{{cite web|url=https://cejsh.icm.edu.pl/cejsh/element/bwmeta1.element.hdl_11089_2429/c/2009_02_Kasinski_141_153.pdf|title=Etyczne i polityczno-prawne dylematy samorządu terytorialnego w Polsce|author=Michał Kasiński|publisher=Wyższa Szkoła Ekonomii i Zarządzania, Łódź|accessdate=2023-04-12}}</ref>

=====1999–present=====
The 1999 administrative reform in Poland reduced the numbers of voivodeships from 49 to 16 thus making each voivodeship much larger in size. This caused many discussions, also protests and conflicts and questions regarding the role of the voivodes in the system. The new act of 5 June 1998 on government administration in the voivodeship
it was specified that the voivode is:
* Representative of the Council of Ministers in the voivodeship;
* Head of the combined government administration;
* A supervisory authority over local government units;
* A higher-level authority within the meaning of the provisions on administrative proceedings.

The voivode, as a representative of the Council of Ministers, was responsible for implementing the government's policy. The voivode's powers also included issuing orders binding on all government administration bodies, and in emergency situations also binding on the bodies of local government units. The voivode could also, in particularly justified cases, suspend the activities of each body conducting administrative enforcement for a specified period of time. On the other hand, the non-combined administration bodies ({{langx|pl|Administracja niezespolona}}) were obliged to agree with the voivode on the drafts of local law enacted by them, in order to ensure compliance of their activities with the voivode's orders and to submit annual information to the voivode on their activities in the voivodeship. In addition, the voivode's competences included all matters in the field of government administration not reserved for other bodies and supervision over the activities of local government units, representing the State Treasury in relation to state property and exercising other powers resulting from representing the State Treasury and exercising the powers and duties of the founding body towards state-owned enterprises. The voivode, at the request of the staroste, with the opinion of the competent head of the combined service, inspection or voivodeship guard, could create, transform and liquidate organizational units constituting the auxiliary apparatus of the heads of powiat services, inspections and guards, unless separate provisions provided otherwise. Governor could appoint and dismiss the heads of combined services, inspections and guards voivodeships, except for Voivodeship Police Commander, who was appointed after consultation opinion of the voivode.<ref name="Kasiński" />

In addition, the voivode has powers and responsibilities regarding defense in the voivodeship, as specified in the [[Homeland Defence Act]]:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20220000655|title=Ustawa z dnia 11 marca 2022 r. o obronie Ojczyzny|publisher=ISAP – Internetowy System Aktów Prawnych|accessdate=2023-04-14|lang=pl}}</ref>

*Defines detailed directions of action for the heads of combined services, inspections and guards, and non-combined administration bodies and local government units in the implementation of defense tasks;
*Manages the implementation of projects related to increasing the state's defense readiness carried out by [[Voivodeship marshal|marshals of voivodeships]], starostes, commune heads (mayors, presidents of cities), entrepreneurs and other organizational and social organizations based in the voivodeship;
*Coordinates the undertakings necessary to secure the mobilization of military units and the provision of defense services;
*Manages the implementation of projects related to the preparation of management positions for local authorities;
*Organizes the use of local forces and resources for the needs of the defense of the state and the area of the voivodship, including protecting the population, material and cultural goods against means of destruction, as well as providing assistance to the injured;
*Controls and evaluates the performance of defense tasks by authorities, entities, entrepreneurs and organizational units;
*Organizes public education on defense preparation and conducts defense training and exercises.

In 2001 the powers and competences of the voivodes was reduced as some of their authority was transferred to the [[Voivodeship sejmik]].

Voivodes continue to have a role in local government in Poland today, as authorities of [[Voivodeships of Poland|voivodeships]] and overseers of self-governing local councils, answerable not to the local electorate but as representatives/emissaries of the central government's [[Council of Ministers (Poland)|Council of Ministers]]. They are appointed by the [[Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Poland|Chairman of the Council of Ministers]] and among their main tasks are budgetary control and supervision of the administrative code.<ref>Dziennik Ustaw|2017|2234|(in Polish) Legislative Record of the [[Polish sejm]]</ref>