Conclusion

Local government has usually been discussed by legal scholars as a topic of administrative law, ¹ and by political scientists as a matter of local politics or local governance. ² Rarely has the subject been examined from the perspective of constitutional law. The general lack of constitutional law studies on local self-government is particularly notable, if one considers that this tier of government is an essential part of the state machinery and that local authorities perform a crucial role in the daily life of the citizen. In a number of countries issues as important as social housing, the local economy, town planning and school buildings fall within the realm of responsibility of local authorities. This explains why the fundamental norms on local self-government are usually laid down in the constitution.