Comparative legal review of mayoral elections in the Member States of the European Union

Na območju Evropske unije lokalno samoupravo ureja Evropska listina lokalne samouprave (MELLS). Slednjo je ratificiralo tudi vseh 28 držav članic Evropske unije. Kljub očitno enotnemu izhodišču, ki ga imajo države članice Evropske unije pri vzpostavitvi lokalne samouprave, pa med njimi obstajajo bistvene razlike v ureditvi lokalne samouprave. Če govorimo o razlikah o pravni ureditvi lokalne samouprave med državami članicami Evropske unije, pa je treba spregovoriti tudi o razlikah med pravnimi ureditvami lokalnih volitev držav članic Evropske unije. V Republiki Sloveniji je župan izvršilni organ občine (osnovna teritorialna enota Republike Slovenije) ter predstavnik občine. Župan je izvoljen na neposrednih, tajnih volitvah ter po dvokrožnem večinskem sistemu. Župan je izvoljen za štiri leta. Republika Slovenija števila mandatov župana ne omejuje. Ko je govora o županu, se države članice Evropske unije med seboj razlikujejo že po tem, da v vseh državah članicah Evropske unije župan ni izvršilni organ občine. Razlikuje pa se tudi sistem lokalnih volitev oziroma volitev župana. Takšna ureditev lokalnih volitev, kot jo poznamo v Republiki Sloveniji, med državami članicami Evropske unije ni večinsko zastopana. V večini držav članic Evropske unije župana posredno voli predstavniški organ občine oziroma ga imenuje celo centralna oblast. V večini držav članic je župan, tako kot v Republiki Sloveniji, izvoljen za štiri leta. Kljub temu pa je za nekaj držav članic Evropske unije značilen nekoliko daljši mandat župana. Države članice Evropske unije tako kot Republika Slovenija županom ne omejujejo števila mandatov. Izjemi sta zgolj Republika Italija in Portugalska.In the European Union, local self-government is governed by the European Charter of Local Self-Government (MELLS). The latter has also been ratified by all 28 EU Member States. Despite the apparently uniform starting point that EU Member States have in establishing local self-government, there are significant differences between them in the regulation of local self-government. If we are talking about differences in the regulation of local self-government between the Member States of the European Union, it is also necessary to talk about the differences between the regulation of local elections in the Member States of the European Union. In the Republic of Slovenia, the mayor is the executive body of the municipality (the basic territorial unit of the Republic of Slovenia) and a representative of the municipality. The mayor is elected by direct, secret ballot and by a two-round majority. A mayor is elected for 4 years. The Republic of Slovenia does not limit the number of mayors. When it comes to the mayor, the Member States of the European Union differ in that in all Member States of the European Union the mayor is not the executive body of the municipality. The system of local elections or mayoral elections also differs. Such regulation of local elections as we know it in the Republic of Slovenia is not represented in the majority of EU Member States. In most Member States of the European Union, the mayor is elected indirectly by the representative body of the municipality, or even appointed by the central authority. In most Member States, as in the Republic of Slovenia, the mayor is elected for 4 years. However, some Member States of the European Union are characterised by a slightly longer mayoral term. Like the Republic of Slovenia, the Member States of the European Union do not limit the number of mandates to mayors. The only exceptions are the Republic of Italy and Portugal