Better Local Governance by Integrative Reorganization of State Administration and Self- Government (in Slovenia)

Rationalization and democratization of public governance and administrative organization are processes affecting all countries. The article critically evaluates the reorganization of local administration in Slovenia, aimed at increasing its effectiveness through integrative approaches at the state and local-self-government levels. Local self-government in Slovenia comprises 212 municipalities combined into 58 local state (general territorial) administrative units. Such organization is rather fragmented and weak despite several reorganization attempts since the mid-2000s. The recently planned reform for 2014 - 2015 tries to overcome the drawbacks typical of Slovenia, such as the two-tier public administration established in 1995 and the resulting economic local non-efficiency. The analysis of the Slovenian institutional landscape in local public administration can serve as a lesson since the strategic reorganization of political and administrative societal elements should - in addition to the search for local democracy - encompass administrative integration toward citizens, businesses and civil society to eventually achieve good local governance.