Starostovia na Slovensku (prípadová štúdia)
Mayors in Slovakia (A Case Study)

Summary/Abstract: The authority of the directly elected mayor is a new element in the local power structure in Slovakia. An understanding of local power holders is therefore very important to us. In the election results of the two mayoral elections three tendencies are identified: a decrease from 1990 to 1994 in the number of mayors with previous affiliation to the communist party, an increase in the number of mayors who do not belong to any party, and higher representation of ethnicity. The paper synthesises various data about the political background of mayors and their opinions and attitudes towards the local problems. The substantial set of data comes from political autobiographies written by the mayors. By analysing them, the authors characterize the attitudes of the mayors towards elected council members, local bureaucrats and the main problems faced by respective local self-governments. Mayorś descriptions of their time in office reflect local elite mobilization, revival of local identity, behaviour of people in new local authorities, the relationship toward citizens, attitudes to local economic development and financial politics. Most mayors were particularly sensitive on party interests represented by deputies in the local council. This problem is dominant in all the memoirs. Few mayors recognize the meaning of their cooperation with the local bureaucracy. The view that it is important to prepare officials for a qualitatively new relationship with the citizen, is rather the exception. Most mayors are conscious of the dependance of their careers on their success in solving the main problems of their communities, e.g., problems with the construction of main drains, water supplies, gas supplies, protecting the environment, storing and disposal of communal waste and social care. Financial issues - where to find the money for self-government and what were their priorities when distributing it -were the most common themes and the most stressed problem of local politics. The mayors belittle the citizenś lack of interest in affairs of self-government and they believe that deputies and mayors had gained their trust and entitlement to solve local problems, in spite of insufficient information, increasing financial problems and the growth of unemployment.

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