During the 1990s, LLCs have mushroomed in Poland, and they have become the hallmark of Polish neoliberal capitalism. They have two distinctive traits. First, they are oriented at short-term profits, and second they nourish very little commitment, as responsibility for one’s actions can be easily relinquished. In a city run as an LLC, only those who contribute to the overall profit-making count as legitimate denizens, whereas others are excluded. Further, decision-makers can easily duck responsibility for their actions, as they claim that the mantle of bookkeeping is their only one.

All this is well reflected in Poznań's recent promotional campaign, where only corporate logos of companies placed in Poznań are shown. It literally equates city with a corporation. Even a recent CNN footage suggests that Poznań indeed has an excellent "business climate." That this is good climate only for very few is visible also in how Poznań is being prepared for hosting the UEFA EURO 2012. Massive investments are being put into the sport infrastructure for professionals, whereas that for rank-and-file inhabitants is actually not being maintained.

We have consistently argued that not only city is not an enterprise but a common and public good, but also that running Poznań as an LLC is not even a sound business policy. If we treat the city as a whole, not only as a sum of individual and isolated elements (each of which has to bring revenue or be at least independently sustainable), then it becomes clear that long-term objectives require some investment that might not profitable in the short run. We therefore would like see more investment in what is called social and human capital, in education and sustainable development that creates a better urban habitat for as many people as possible.