The impact of the economic crisis on local governments in Europe

The Impact of the Economic Crisis on Local Governments in Europe. The economic crisis of 2008 had a significant impact on the administrative organisation of European Union (EU) member States. In particular, it affected the process for rationalising the allocation of resources at the regional and/or local level. Moreover, the crisis has reinforced the responsibility of member States, which have become the direct intermediaries of the EU in its efforts to meet economic stability and growth objectives. These changes have led to a state in which decisions related to public matters are being centralised at the national level. A general renewal of the institutional and territorial framework can be observed. Public authorities are experimenting with new measures which combine different levels of governments or aggregate and foster cooperation between local governments. Policies have been adopted with the aim of reducing the number of regional and local entities responsible for providing public services (such as in-house or semi-public companies). Therefore, this book establishes an inventory of local administrative reforms following the economic crisis of 2008, and provides a reflective, even critical, picture of the methodologies for reform. --