Relations between the central level and the local level

Venue: Republic of Albania
Date: 12 February 2013

Lecturers:

Prof. Dr. Donald Curtis, Specialist in Public Management and Institutional Development

Prof. Arian Galdini, Master of Political Science and Public Policy

Besnik Tahiri, Master of Science in Decentralised Governance and International Development
Topics:

• Responsibility and moral hazard in local government – key issues

• Types of Decentralisation – Accommodating Diversity

• The demand for power-sharing in post-war societies

• Local Government and social cohesion

• Democratisation versus Decentralisation – Why should governments or the citizens concerned
be preoccupied with decentralisation?

• The role and importance of public policy in local governance

Prof. Dr. Donald Curtis, Specialist in Public Management and Institutional Development

Prof. Dr. Donald Curtis stressed that the national public good is best served when the local public good is best represented; this is precisely the case when the local public good is regulated by a national constitution, and that constitution grants competences to local interests, creating separate spheres of government. In this respect, he stressed that local interests and national interests may coincide, or will sometimes be in conflict.

Precisely because of this, the centre seeks universal goods, territorial integrity, the preservation of diversity and civic engagement for the broader public good, whereas the municipality pursues various specific interests: as many competences as possible, a local voice and representation, and an equal share of national resources.

The public good addresses the interest of the citizen; to build this relationship between the central and local levels, several levels of responsibility must be created in the citizen’s interest, which must be regulated by agreement and by law.

In his lecture he highlighted cooperation or partnership between the central and local levels. For a leader, what matters is finding a common language, which requires a willingness to resolve the issue, to give and take in negotiations until a solution is reached. He also stressed that the media are not always friendly or sincere in their treatment of governmental disagreements, e.g. local transport in relation to national transport, economic development, the allocation of natural resources, etc.; in exceptional cases, resolution within a constitutional framework is essential for good governance.

What matters for a capable leader is to understand the Constitution, know the Laws and use negotiation, where each leader’s skill must then be accepted by the party and its followers (the electorate); trust is the key, precisely because political leadership is not only about constructive (constitutional, legal) intergovernmental relations but also about winning public support.

Prof. Arian Galdini, Master of Political Science and Public Policy

In his lecture he stressed the importance of the citizen in decision-making. He emphasised this with regard to the establishment of complaints committees where citizens can express their dissatisfaction with services, etc. As for public investment, the intervention of the public interest and the real interest of the public, local government should make the most of this through the citizen’s voice in conveying our voice.