ABSTRACT
It is difficult to disagree with the statement that central regulations had a significant impact on the political and financial autonomy of municipalities, including cities playing the role of development centers, gaining in importance. The unprecedented legal changes introduced by the central government for the purpose of ‘fighting’ the Covid-19 pandemic prompt one to seek answers to a number of research questions concerning the condition of urban democracy. The key question is: to what extent did the measures taken by the governments during the state of danger violate the scope of municipal self-government? In addition to the analysis of compliance with the European Charter of Local Self-Government, the practice regarding Covid-19 in municipal self-governments is presented. The aim of the chapter is therefore to identify national and local emergency measures and to assess the common features of the local political-administrative context. The author argues that the scale and dynamics of the changes are so significant that they have a destructive impact on the condition of urban democracy and, consequently, the ability of municipal self-governments to perform public tasks.
