Aktuálně.cz | Fragmented Czech Regions Need Reform

In the autumn, regional council elections will be held. The existence of 14 regions in the Czech Republic, however, does not have a long tradition – they were only established in 2000, partly due to the anticipated entry into the European Union. This arrangement is now heavily criticized for their fragmentation, low and duplicative administrative capacities, and the associated negative impacts on the state budget. Klára Votavová, a researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, presents in her commentary on research on the capacities of the state and regions to draw from the Just Transition Fund, using the examples of the Karlovy Vary and Moravian-Silesian regions.

The Just Transition Fund is a new tool established by the EU to support union regions particularly affected by the transition away from coal and energy-intensive industries. In the Czech Republic, 42 billion CZK from this fund is allocated to the Moravian-Silesian, Karlovy Vary, and Ústí nad Labem regions. While these regions naturally welcome the influx of extra investments, the amount is not staggering – it roughly equates to one additional annual budget for these regions.

You can read the entire commentary here.

Klára Votavová
Associate Research Fellow

Expertise: Social policies, EU digital policies, Just Transition, Central and Eastern Europe