Theoretical approaches to regional self-government in the Republic of Croatia

Hrvatska se kao samostalna država, a od 2013. godine i punopravna članica Europske unije, odredila za punu afirmaciju institucija lokalne i područne (regionalne) samouprave. Hrvatska upravna znanost napravila je značajne iskorake u smislu prihvaćanja temeljnih zasada europskog profiliranja tih institucija, ali svjesna i svojih posebnosti na tom putu. Kao jedna od najvažnijih dvojbi javlja se ona o koncepciji područne (regionalne) samouprave odnosno o tome kako organizirati to područje, posebice koji teritorij bi obuhvaćale jedinice područne (regionalne) samouprave i prema kojim kriterijima bi taj teritorij bio određen te koje ovlasti bi takve jedinice imale. Radi cjelovite kritičke analize ključnih pitanja područne (regionalne) samouprave u Republici Hrvatskoj, u radu se analiziraju stajališta znanstvenika i iz drugih područja: ekonomista, politologa, geografa i sociologa.Croatia has, as an independent state, and from the year 2013 as a full member of the European Union; chosen to fully affirm the institutions of local and regional self-government. Croatian administration science has made significant advances in terms of acceptance of basic, for now, European, profiling of these institutions, but it is also aware of its\u27 particularities on that path. As one of the most significant dubieties, the one on the concept of regional self-government appears, i.e. on the organization of that area, especially which territory would be encompassed by the units of regional self-government in the Republic of Croatia, as well as the authorities which would these units possess. In order to critically and wholly analyse the crucial questions of regional self-government in the Republic of Croatia, this paper also analyses perspectives of scientists in other areas: economists, political scientists, geographers and sociologists