Local Government Association Criticizes Abandonment of Municipal Authority Expansion

The head of Slovakia's Association of Towns and Municipalities (ZMOS) criticized the government's decision to abandon plans to expand local government powers, calling it a missed opportunity. Jozef Božik, who chairs ZMOS, expressed disappointment with the shelving of the initiative that would have given Slovak municipalities and regions greater autonomy in local affairs. The association represents hundreds of local governments across Slovakia and has long advocated for decentralization reforms that would transfer certain powers from the central government to local authorities, allowing them to better address community-specific needs and improve public services at the local level.