Local Government in Europe

“This impressive collection, prepared by leading scholars on local governments in various European countries, documents the permanent need for local government reforms, revealing their current directions, backgrounds and often contradictory features.” Ján Buček, Comenius University

“While local governance is inherently diverse in Europe, this book provides interesting insights on policy responses to common key issues across Europe: territorial reform, local finances and participation and leadership – worthy reading.” Germà Bel, University of Barcelona

“This is an exemplary up-to-date book that provides systematic and empirically informed in-depth analyses about local level reforms in Europe – a must-read for all those interested in understanding the challenges and perspectives of European local government.” Sabine Kuhlmann, University of Potsdam

Marta Lackowska is Professor in the Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies at the University of Warsaw, Poland.

Katarzyna Szmigiel-Rawska is Professor in the Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies at the University of Warsaw, Poland.

Filipe Teles is Assistant Professor in the Department of Social, Political and Territorial Sciences at the University of Aveiro, Portugal.

PART I The Size of Municipal Reforms When Size Matters

1 Advancing the Research Agenda on Local Territorial Reforms: Taking Time and Space Seriously ~ António F. Tavares

2 Too Big To Be Local: Local and National Elite Complicity in the Narrative of English Council Mergers ~ Colin Copus, Alistair Jones and Rachel Wall

3 Consequences of Forced Municipal Mergers: Evidence from Norway ~ Harald Baldersheim and Lawrance E. Rose

4 Local Government Reforms in Denmark and Norway: Reform Tools and Outcomes ~ Kurt Houlberg and Jan Erling Klausen

5 One Size Does Not Fit All: Growing Cities and Shrinking Towns in the Spanish Local Map ~ Carmen Navarro and Esther Pano

6 Institutional Changes and Shifting Roles: Local Government Reform in Hungary, 2010–14 ~ Gábor Dobos

7 Territorial Reforms in Bulgaria: The Cases of Municipal Divorces ~ Desislava Kalcheva

8 Participation of Interest Groups at Local Level: Any Space for Democracy in Inter- Municipal Cooperation? ~ Jurga Bučaitė-Vilkė

PART II Local Democracy and Leadership

9 Municipal Size and the Nationalization of Local Party Systems: The Nationalized, Localized and Regionalized Local Party Systems of Denmark, Poland and Belgium ~ Adam Gendźwiłł, Ulrik Kjaer and Kristof Steyvers

10 Co-creating the Tolerant City: The Role of Inspirational Civic Leadership ~ Robin Hambleton with a contribution by Wirginia Aksztejn

11 Urban Leadership: German and Polish Mayors in Comparison ~ Hubert Heinelt

12 Urban Climate Leadership in Metropolitan Areas: How Has the Political Parliamentary Model Influenced Oslo’s Climate Leadership? ~ Gro Sandkjær Hanssen

PART III Keeping the Pace with a Balanced Balance Sheet

13 Democratic Functions of Local Budgets ~ Jerzy Bartkowski

14 Does Urban Sprawl Pay Off for the Suburban Municipal Budget in Poland? ~ Julita Łukomska and Jarosław Neneman

15 Should Tourists Pay Local Taxes and Why Yes? ~ Marta Derek

Conclusion

16 Perspectives on European Local Government: Putting Local Democracy First! ~ Marta Lackowska, Katarzyna Szmigiel-Rawska and Filipe Teles