The Changes of the Roles of the Hungarian Counties: Towards a One and a Half-Tier System?

Abstract

Several models of the definition of local government competences have been evolved in the modern public law systems. Traditionally the county governments have had an important role in the Hungarian public administration. Although this role was weakened after 1990 the new county governments have had important service provider functions to 2011 which system has been changed by the new Hungarian Municipal Code. The former public services performed by the county governments became the tasks of the central government and partly the functions of the county towns. Thus the counties lost the majority of their functions and they received just narrow competences in regional planning. These tasks were extended by the reforms of 2013 which can be the base of a new “developing county” approach.