Original scientific paper
Institutional Reform of the Croatian Local Government: From Cabinets to Directly Elected Mayors and County Governors
Robert Podolnjak
orcid.org/0000-0001-6812-5684
; Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
In this article the new Croatian model of ‘local presidential’ system is defined
in its most important aspects concerning the electoral model, the position,
the powers, the relationship with the local council, and the accountability of
directly elected heads of municipalities, mayors and county governors. However,
some aspects of the new system, e.g. the powers of the directly elected
local executive, are still not defined, and some changes in the electoral system
have already been adopted before its actual implementation. What could be
preliminarily stated is that the Croatian model is a very specific model with
certain features resembling other contemporary systems of ‘local presidentialism’
in Europe, but also with some peculiarities similar to the American model
(particularly the model of electing mayor and deputy mayor on the same ticket),
which point to the conclusion that the Croatian model is a new variant of
the ‘local presidential’ system.
Keywords
local government; Croatia; direct election of mayors
Hrčak ID:
68764
URI
Publication date:
10.5.2011.
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