ABSTRACT
This chapter gives an overview of the system of local government in the Czech Republic. Structural and institutional changes are traced back to the democratic transition in 1989–1990, a key turning point for local government, the entire Czech political system and Czech statehood in the past twenty years. First the functions performed by Czech municipalities and the patterns of local expenditure and revenue are analysed. The second section outlines briefly how local political actors represent their interests at the central level and can access government institutions. Political, administrative-legal and fiscal dimensions of local discretion and central control are discussed in the third section. The conclusion seeks to identify major developments and distinctive features in the Czech system of local government.
