Municipal Councillors in Europe, Volume I: Profile and Roles (Palgrave Studies in Sub-National Governance)

As members of representative bodies at local levels of government, municipal councillors play a vital role in democratic decision-making most closely related to the daily lives of citizens. Interactions between councillors and citizens, between councillors themselves, and between councillors and their representative bodies, are therefore some of the most common features of contemporary democracy. The multiple forms these interactions take provide important insights into the different roles of local government, as well as their administrative, civic and political cultures.

Bringing together an international network of leading experts, this book is one of two volumes that examine the roles of municipal councillors in twenty-eight European countries over the last twenty years. Chapters in this volume focus on councillors’ profiles and roles inside government, examining topics such as the personal and political profiles of municipal councillors, the amount of time they invest in fulfilling their mandates, and the policy objectives they prioritise. Structured thematically to allow for cross-country comparisons, the book will appeal to all those interested in European local government and public administration, as well as policymakers and practitioners.

Hubert Heinelt is Professor of Public Administration, Public Policy and Urban Research, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany.

Björn Egner is Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Political Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany.

Jakub Lysek is Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Czechia.

Tom Verhelst is Associate Professor of Local Politics at the Department of Political Science, Ghent University, Belgium