Geography and territorial administration in the Czech Republic :issues of fragmentation and rescaling

Abstract

The posti989 reforms of the Czech system of territorial administration and self-government have involved debates on traditional key issues: (i) reform of multipurpose territorial government, (ii) fragmentation of administrative and self-governmental system, and (iii) rescaling of competences in changing hierarchy of the system. The paper focuses on the last major reform establishing in 2003 an administrative level Of 205 small districts. The three key issues of administrative geography are assessed in a wider context of the post-1989 reforms. The issues of multipurpose territorial government, fragmentation and rescaling of administrative tasks and self-governmental competencies are interconnected. The formation of 205 small administrative districts at micro-regional level is considered in relation to fragmenting consequences of an extraordinary big number of municipalities. Finally, there are made concluding remarks on public administration and regional organisation of the current (post-communist) society. It appears that the 205 small administrative districts established under the post-1989 democratic regime “from below“ tend to correspond more to existing regional socio-economic structure of the country than former 77 larger districts created by the communist regime from above on the basis of an "equalitarian" ideology