Local government in Serbia: Between legislation and practice

Abstract

The paper is based on an assumption that there are many limitations of accelerating the decentralization process and the implementation of sustainable development policy in Serbia at the local level. Although these limitations may vary between local governments (local communities) because of different degrees of social-economic development, a framework can be defined, which will be explained on the example of Serbia as a developing country. Lately, the role and the importance of the local community has been strengthening, which is particularly intensified by the rapid technical and technological development and the need for a quick adjustment to the changes resulting from it. In this regard, the development of local government units and the level of living standard of citizens increasingly depend on the modernization of local government legislation. The issue of property and resources management at the local level is essential for the process of decentralization, economic empowerment and the development of local government. The article is and a discussion aimed at the development capacity and the problems of local government units and their ability to initiate the process of democratization and economic prosperity of the country, given the numerous development limitations (economic, social and environmental), and the inherited patterns of behavior from the time of socialism.