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This chapter describes how Finnish legislation follows the articles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government. In general, even though localself-government in Finland is constitutionally and legally protected, it is highly state-dependent and restricted in many ways. The current government reform challenges local self-government by establishing a new regional level of governance, altering the Finnish local government system. The burden of public services exposes local government for reforming, which has affected the relationship between central and local governments. In Finland, to follow and implement the principles of the Charter, the biggest challenges are with the municipalities' wide responsibilities, financial constraints, and strong state steering. This chapter illustrates how the role of local government as a service provider has led to a situation where municipalities are strictly steered by and financially dependent on the national government.

Lithuania is a parliamentary democracy and a decentralised unitary state. In 2018 on 16th of February country celebrated 100 years of the birth of modern Lithuania. In 1918 there was established an independent, modern state of people, which had to be ruled by democratically elected government. Since June 1940 country was occupied by the Soviet Union. Lithuania restored its independence on 11 March 1990. Nowadays Lithuania has the population of 2.8 million (2019) and the territory of 65 300 km2. Lithuania has got one tier local government system. It consists of 60 local authorities or municipalities. Lithuania has constitutional basics of local government, local government are regulated in the Law on Local Government, and European Charter of Local Government was signed in 1996 and ratified in 1999 without reservations. The chapter present brief historical development of local self-government in Lithuania, describes constitution, legal, administrative, financial and other local self-government issues, paying attention to such local self-government dimensions as responsibility, right to associate and protection. Also there are presented future challenges of the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in country.

Lithuania is a parliamentary democracy and a decentralised unitary state. In 2018 on 16th of February country celebrated 100 years of the birth of modern Lithuania. In 1918 there was established an independent, modern state of people, which had to be ruled by democratically elected government. Since June 1940 country was occupied by the Soviet Union. Lithuania restored its independence on 11 March 1990. Nowadays Lithuania has the population of 2.8 million (2019) and the territory of 65 300 km2. Lithuania has got one tier local government system. It consists of 60 local authorities or municipalities. Lithuania has constitutional basics of local government, local government are regulated in the Law on Local Government, and European Charter of Local Government was signed in 1996 and ratified in 1999 without reservations. The chapter present brief historical development of local self-government in Lithuania, describes constitution, legal, administrative, financial and other local self-government issues, paying attention to such local self-government dimensions as responsibility, right to associate and protection. Also there are presented future challenges of the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in country.

Lithuania is a parliamentary democracy and a decentralised unitary state. In 2018 on 16th of February country celebrated 100 years of the birth of modern Lithuania. In 1918 there was established an independent, modern state of people, which had to be ruled by democratically elected government. Since June 1940 country was occupied by the Soviet Union. Lithuania restored its independence on 11 March 1990. Nowadays Lithuania has the population of 2.8 million (2019) and the territory of 65 300 km2. Lithuania has got one tier local government system. It consists of 60 local authorities or municipalities. Lithuania has constitutional basics of local government, local government are regulated in the Law on Local Government, and European Charter of Local Government was signed in 1996 and ratified in 1999 without reservations. The chapter present brief historical development of local self-government in Lithuania, describes constitution, legal, administrative, financial and other local self-government issues, paying attention to such local self-government dimensions as responsibility, right to associate and protection. Also there are presented future challenges of the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in country.

Lithuania is a parliamentary democracy and a decentralised unitary state. In 2018 on 16th of February country celebrated 100 years of the birth of modern Lithuania. In 1918 there was established an independent, modern state of people, which had to be ruled by democratically elected government. Since June 1940 country was occupied by the Soviet Union. Lithuania restored its independence on 11 March 1990. Nowadays Lithuania has the population of 2.8 million (2019) and the territory of 65 300 km2. Lithuania has got one tier local government system. It consists of 60 local authorities or municipalities. Lithuania has constitutional basics of local government, local government are regulated in the Law on Local Government, and European Charter of Local Government was signed in 1996 and ratified in 1999 without reservations. The chapter present brief historical development of local self-government in Lithuania, describes constitution, legal, administrative, financial and other local self-government issues, paying attention to such local self-government dimensions as responsibility, right to associate and protection. Also there are presented future challenges of the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in country.

Lithuania is a parliamentary democracy and a decentralised unitary state. In 2018 on 16th of February country celebrated 100 years of the birth of modern Lithuania. In 1918 there was established an independent, modern state of people, which had to be ruled by democratically elected government. Since June 1940 country was occupied by the Soviet Union. Lithuania restored its independence on 11 March 1990. Nowadays Lithuania has the population of 2.8 million (2019) and the territory of 65 300 km2. Lithuania has got one tier local government system. It consists of 60 local authorities or municipalities. Lithuania has constitutional basics of local government, local government are regulated in the Law on Local Government, and European Charter of Local Government was signed in 1996 and ratified in 1999 without reservations. The chapter present brief historical development of local self-government in Lithuania, describes constitution, legal, administrative, financial and other local self-government issues, paying attention to such local self-government dimensions as responsibility, right to associate and protection. Also there are presented future challenges of the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in country.

Lithuania is a parliamentary democracy and a decentralised unitary state. In 2018 on 16th of February country celebrated 100 years of the birth of modern Lithuania. In 1918 there was established an independent, modern state of people, which had to be ruled by democratically elected government. Since June 1940 country was occupied by the Soviet Union. Lithuania restored its independence on 11 March 1990. Nowadays Lithuania has the population of 2.8 million (2019) and the territory of 65 300 km2. Lithuania has got one tier local government system. It consists of 60 local authorities or municipalities. Lithuania has constitutional basics of local government, local government are regulated in the Law on Local Government, and European Charter of Local Government was signed in 1996 and ratified in 1999 without reservations. The chapter present brief historical development of local self-government in Lithuania, describes constitution, legal, administrative, financial and other local self-government issues, paying attention to such local self-government dimensions as responsibility, right to associate and protection. Also there are presented future challenges of the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in country.

In this article a presently existing public administration system in Lithuania as well as the position of municipalities(subjects of local self–government) in that system are described, the features of the "real" local self–governmentare being formulated, potentially possible groups of problems of local self–government are distinguished and currentlymain problems of municipalities of Lithuania are indicated.The author of the article notes that in Lithuania up till now the concept of the "real" local self–government hasnot been clearly and unambiguously defined yet. That makes the formulation of target goals, tasks and means as wellas their implementation developing the system of local self–government more difficult. Seeking at least partly to fillthe existing gap, the author of the article formulates eight features of the "real" local self–government.Having defined the problem of local self–government as a deviation from the "normal" conditions for thefunctioning of the local self–government system that cause negative changes in the system, the author of the articleshows the relationship between the "normal" conditions for the functioning of local self–government and the formulatedfeatures of the "real" local self–government. According to this relationship the author of the article indicateseight potentially possible groups of problems of local self–government.On the basis of the accumulated knowledge and acquired experience the author of the article points out fivegroups of currently particularly important problems for local self–government of Lithuania, which are conditionallynamed as follows: 1) suppressed independence; 2) insufficient constructiveness of the relationship among differentlevels of government; 3) economic problems of municipalities; 4) not involving community members in managinglocal affairs; 5) inertness of municipalities.

This chapter describes how Finnish legislation follows the articles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government. In general, even though local self-government in Finland is constitutionally and legally protected, it is highly state-dependent and restricted in many ways. The current government reform challenges local self-government by establishing a new regional level of governance, altering the Finnish local government system. The burden of public services exposes local government for reforming, which has affected the relationship between central and local governments. In Finland, to follow and implement the principles of the Charter, the biggest challenges are with the municipalities' wide responsibilities, financial constraints, and strong state steering. This chapter illustrates how the role of local government as a service provider has led to a situation where municipalities are strictly steered by and financially dependent on the national government. ; publishedVersion ; Peer reviewed

The the changing approach on the nature of local governance in Hungary is reviewed by this chapter. During the Democratic Transition the evolvement of the Hungarian municipal system was based on the paradigm and approach of the European Charter of Local Government. Thus one of the most autonomous local government system of Europe evolved in Hungary. Although the municipal reforms were basically successful, several dysfunctional phenomena could be observed and the request for the municipal reforms was strong from the late 1990s in Hungary. The new constitution of Hungary, the Fundamental Law introduced a new model. The approach of the local governance has been transformed: the autonomy of the municipalities have been limited. Thus the autonomous nature of the Hungarian model changed and new challenges have appeared in the field of the implementation of the regulation of the Charter.