ABSTRACT
After 1990, in the countries of the Visegrád Group, that is, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia (V4), apart from the broadly understood market reforms, one of the key challenges for systemic and economic transformation was the design and implementation of necessary changes within the organisation and functioning of public administration, which primarily involved decentralisation. The purpose of the chapter is to present selected aspects of such changes, considering the specificity of local government systems in these countries. An attempt was made to determine whether the 30 years of self-government allowed it to flourish, just survive, or whether it was actually forced into retreat. The chapter starts with a discussion of the diversity of local government administrations in the four countries and goes on to explore the reforms implemented in this area and the financial aspects of decentralisation and local autonomy. The conclusion from these considerations is that none of these countries has seen a flourishing self-government and that certain problems require further, often comprehensive changes. Unfortunately, instead of adopting a systemic approach, decision-makers prefer to focus on their current political needs.
