Open Access Article SciPap-1011
Transparent Local Self-Government – Right of Public to Information as a Form of Direct Democracy
by Tomáš Alman 1,* and Jana Volochová 2

1 Fakulta verejnej správy, Katedra verejnoprávnych disciplín, Univerzita Pavla Jozefa Šafárika v Košiciach, Popradská 66, Košice 1 041 32, Slovakia

2 Fakulta verejnej správy, Katedra verejnoprávnych disciplín, Univerzita Pavla Jozefa Šafárika v Košiciach, Popradská 66, Košice 1 041 32, Slovakia

* Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Abstract: The article is thematically focused on the issue of transparent performance of self-government, especially in the context of public´s position within the institute of the right to information. The aim of the article will be to evaluate the extent of provided information in selected municipalities in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic, to compare the legislation and practice and to specify differences. The research will focus on constitutional-legal and theoretical background and analysis of the rules of procedure of local councils in Bratislava, Košice and Prague. We will supplement the research with selected criteria - publishing and making audiovisual recordings or other recordings. General methods (analysis, synthesis, logical abstraction, induction and deduction), statistical methods and comparison will be used. The article is formally structured into the standard parts, the formulation of the issue is focused on theoretic-legal aspects, direct democracy, the right to information and especially the provision of information by selected self-governments. We found some shortcomings (municipalities not complying with legal obligations), the worst is Košice, the better condition is in Bratislava and the best situation is in Prague. The most serious mistakes are the absence of a website, unpublished rules of procedure or relevant records of meetings.

Keywords: Transparency, Local Self-Government, Direct Democracy, Right To Information, Administration, Public Control, Records

JEL classification:   D73 - Bureaucracy • Administrative Processes in Public Organizations • Corruption,   D78 - Positive Analysis of Policy Formulation and Implementation,  E6 - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook,   H11 - Structure, Scope, and Performance of Government

SciPap 2020, 28(1), 1011

Received: 23 January 2020 / Accepted: 29 April 2020 / Published: 30 April 2020