Georgia Unitary state

Reforms

Despite significant progress made with regard to local self-government in Georgia in recent years, the new government is now backtracking on these steps forward.

Since 2006, reforms have been underway to promote the autonomy of local governements in Georgia in order to improve the country’s respect of its commitments under the European Charter of Local Self-Government. Thus, the passing of different legislation resulted in a strengthening of the role of local elected representatives, a less prominent one for the central executive in local decision-making, a change in the local public administration structure, greater clarity in the division of competences, as well as new fiscal equalisation rules.

New discussions have been underway since the arrival of a new government following legislative elections in October 2012 and are focused on the creation of regions and further decentralisation of certain competences. Stakeholders involved in the discussions suggested changes in the voting system for local elections, the shortening of mandates of local elected representatives from four to two years, and the breaking up of municipalities i.e. bringing the number of municipalities up to 400 from the 69 which exist today.

There could be some restructuring of local public services in the event where the municipalities are broken up. This project has also sparked concerns among mayors, who believe that it was introduced as a result of political calculations made by the new government, and has led these municipalities to fear a more limited political role and greater dependence from the central government.

Local self-government in Georgia:

While progress has been achieved in recent years, a recommendation adopted by the Council of Europe’s Congress in March 2013 nonetheless expresses this body’s concern regarding the political situation in Georgia, mainly in light of political pressure from the opposition perceived by local elected representatives. The project to break up municipalities could also threaten local self-government, particularly in the case where the population and local elected representatives object to it.

KEY REFORMS

• 2006: major territorial reform, abolishing the first-tier local government units (villages, communities and cities) and leaving the municipalities (districts) as the only remaining local level.
• 2010: revision of the constitution (“local self-government” chapter), ongoing decentralisation strategy initiated in 2006:
  • development of inter-municipal cooperation mechanisms
  • drafting of a regional development strategy
• Ongoing:
  • Strengthening of the role of local elected representatives
  • Reform of the local civil service
  • New power-sharing arrangements between different levels of government
  • New financial equalisation rules
• Under discussion:
  • Plans to break up municipalities
  • New wave of decentralisation
  • Creation of regions
  • Review of local voting systems