Page 92 - RIMD_2012_3
P. 92
92 | Challenges and Obstacles of Local Public Management
courageously and effectively thinking in terms of the form of the European
Union.
The current economic crisis, as the advanced globalization of exchanges,
requires the promotion of European federalism, and this, if not by conviction,
at least by realism.
2) Local authorities must be accepted as credible actors of public action, and
they must enhance their action
The field of local powers can be cleared out only by determining the scope of
State and super-state powers, given that the definition of local powers is not
exclusive of the reflection and promotion of forms of association or coopera-
tion between different levels of governance in Europe.
This is because, in a managerial sense, there are two levels of action: the one
of strategy, of thinking, on one hand, and the one of implementation, of func-
tioning, on the other hand.
As a result, the acknowledgement of a certain power at a level of govern-
ance, in the sense of “responsibility”, implies giving it strategic choices, but
not necessarily the exclusivity of implementation. The acknowledgement of
the responsibility of a public service, at a decision-making administrative
level, does not exclude entrusting the execution of the service to a third par-
ty, including to a private person, for example through the delegation of a
public service...
3) Therefore, it is essential to redistribute, under the principle of subsidiari-
ty, the administrative powers, on one hand, between regions and the State,
and, on the other hand, between regions and “communes” or local joint
bodies
In summary, the movement of reflection and division of powers between the
different levels of governance, from the local level to the European Union,
imposes a clear and precise definition of political and administrative powers,
taking account, of course, the means (financial, legal, human and material)
for their implementation.
The most appropriate powers must be distributed at each level of public au-
thorities, in order to be strategically and eventually operationally executed,
while taking full account of the needs of inhabitants - users and respecting
the logic of local democracy.
However, it is also possible that the strategic decision-making level is placed
at a higher territorial level and that the operational implementation is divided
into smaller territories for a more effective or efficient public action, and this
in an obvious democratic logic.
Thus, the logic of the “multi-level” distribution of powers must also respond
to the combination of decentralization and deconcentration, especially since
RIMD – n o 3 – 2012
courageously and effectively thinking in terms of the form of the European
Union.
The current economic crisis, as the advanced globalization of exchanges,
requires the promotion of European federalism, and this, if not by conviction,
at least by realism.
2) Local authorities must be accepted as credible actors of public action, and
they must enhance their action
The field of local powers can be cleared out only by determining the scope of
State and super-state powers, given that the definition of local powers is not
exclusive of the reflection and promotion of forms of association or coopera-
tion between different levels of governance in Europe.
This is because, in a managerial sense, there are two levels of action: the one
of strategy, of thinking, on one hand, and the one of implementation, of func-
tioning, on the other hand.
As a result, the acknowledgement of a certain power at a level of govern-
ance, in the sense of “responsibility”, implies giving it strategic choices, but
not necessarily the exclusivity of implementation. The acknowledgement of
the responsibility of a public service, at a decision-making administrative
level, does not exclude entrusting the execution of the service to a third par-
ty, including to a private person, for example through the delegation of a
public service...
3) Therefore, it is essential to redistribute, under the principle of subsidiari-
ty, the administrative powers, on one hand, between regions and the State,
and, on the other hand, between regions and “communes” or local joint
bodies
In summary, the movement of reflection and division of powers between the
different levels of governance, from the local level to the European Union,
imposes a clear and precise definition of political and administrative powers,
taking account, of course, the means (financial, legal, human and material)
for their implementation.
The most appropriate powers must be distributed at each level of public au-
thorities, in order to be strategically and eventually operationally executed,
while taking full account of the needs of inhabitants - users and respecting
the logic of local democracy.
However, it is also possible that the strategic decision-making level is placed
at a higher territorial level and that the operational implementation is divided
into smaller territories for a more effective or efficient public action, and this
in an obvious democratic logic.
Thus, the logic of the “multi-level” distribution of powers must also respond
to the combination of decentralization and deconcentration, especially since
RIMD – n o 3 – 2012
