L’expérimentation de l’approche Leader en Hongrie et en République tchèque : Deux Logiques Politiques Différentes

The transfer of the local development model in the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy (2007-2013) implies learning a new form of public action based on initiatives borne by local stakeholders. One of the objectives of the LEADER Program is to improve the governance of rural areas through a bottom-up approach to local development. Are the conditions for carrying it out it in each country’s institutional context capable of boosting citizen participation in collective actions and consolidating local democracy? Defined and formulated at the EU level, the Leader approach has been transposed by member states in different ways and incorporated in each country’s system of local government in line with political strategies for establishing “action areas” that differ in their territorial coverage and articulation with institutional units. Empirical research sheds light on how local action groups have been shaped through the formation of partnerships and networks. The positions adopted by a few mayors on the local scene provide evidence of the emergence of a genuine political leadership.