Modern territorial reforms of local self-government in Germany and Russia

Emil Markvart () and Jochen Franzke ()
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Emil Markvart: The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy And Public Administration
Jochen Franzke: University of Potsdam

Spatial Economics=Prostranstvennaya Ekonomika, 2017, issue 3, 40-61

Abstract: The article explores theoretical approaches to the territorial reforms of local self-government developed by the European municipal science, as well as practical experience of the current stage of enlargement of municipalities in Germany (new federal states, especially Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg, Thuringia) and Russia (e.g. Moscow Region). Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the arguments of supporters and opponents of enlargement, the economic, social, managerial and political effects of this process. On the basis of modern research, it is concluded that the claim of saving of budget resources as a result of consolidation of municipalities is untenable, much like the claim of a number of negative consequences from the point of view of local democracy. At the same time, negative demographic trends require enlargements of municipalities in sparsely populated areas. The article also contains a number of practical conclusions and recommendations

Keywords: local self-government; local authorities; municipality; territorial reforms; territorial organization of local self-government; depopulation; Germany; Russia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:far:spaeco:y:2017:i:3:p:40-61

DOI: 10.14530/se.2017.3.040-061

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