Aditionally created municipalities with extended power and their position in settlement structure

Abstract

At the beginning of the millennium, a second phase of territorial reform of public administration took place in the Czech Republic. It resulted in a fundamental strengthening of the combined model through the creation of a system of municipalities with extended power and the dissolution of the district offices. The newly expanded municipalities are seen as one of the basic layers where public administration and devolved performance of state government are exercised, respectively. This state is codified by Act No. 51/2020 Coll., on the Territorial Administrative Breakdown of the State.

Although the definition was intended to create administrative districts that would coincide with natural functional regions, the proposed range of towns was expanded to include additional municipalities as a result of a political decision that was taken when the laws were being negotiated.

The article focuses on the evolution of these politically formed municipalities with extended power (MEP) in view of their demographic development and the role of the commuter hub within the spatial relations in an administrative region. Also the amenities available at these centres were studied and a comparison was made with selected towns of similar size, which were proposed as MEP in the original draft, as well as those which do not have this status.

The fundamental difference identified is the reduced ability of politically chosen MEP to naturally integrate administrative territories.