Developments in local governance in Central and East Europe

Abstract

Local government system has been re-introduced in countries of Central and Eastern Europe together with political turn-over after the collapse of communist system at the beginning of 1990s. 15th anniversary of first democratic local election in several countries of the region (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) is a good occasion for reflection on a present shape of local governance and local democracy in the region. In our panel we want to leave the area of changing central-local relations and big structural reforms (which have been the most often discussed in local government studies in this region of Europe) but to concentrate on political process within municipalities. We invite paper proposals which would analyse some of following issues: - trust and communication between elected representatives and local community, - citizens interest in local governments; - changes in modes of local governance, such as development of new urban regimes, including role of business organizations in community power structures, co-operation of elected local governments with non-governmental organizations, innovations in community involvement; - changing roles of political parties in local governance. Abstracts of proposed papers should be submitted to the panel chair - Pawel Swianiewicz - before 1 March 2005

Title	Details
Network management and regional policy making in Poland - the case of regional development strategy in Silesia	View Paper Details
NGOs - Local Governments Partnership and its Role in Building Consolidated Democracy	View Paper Details
Local authorities and direct democracy in Poland	View Paper Details
Local referendum in Hungary: conflict and participation	View Paper Details