Lokalna samouprava u Bosni i Hercegovini (između socijalističkog naslijeđa i evropskih standarda)

Although local self-government in Bosnia and Herzegovina historically shaped within the different political and socio-economic system, the greatest impact on the present system of local self-government has left the period of socialist development in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1945-1990). During this period, “communal system” established and almost five decades developed in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In communal system, the municipality was the basic self-management, socio- economic and political community, and it was also the basis of realization of imagined ideal “self-managing socialist society” in which all power is given to citizens. However, in practice it is ruled bureaucracy of local authorities and municipalities have been developed as a state and not as self-governing communities. The introduction of a multiparty system and market economy in early 90s of last century, was a chance to set different conceptual relations regarding the constitutional position of local authorities and roles of citizens in shaping public policy in local communities, based on the developed European countries. However, essentially nothing has changed. Municipalities continue to be financially (and thus politically) dependent on the higher levels of government and municipalities to make decisions in formal and informal centres bureaucratised local political parties.