Participation of Interest Groups at Local Level: Any Space for Democracy in Inter-Municipal Cooperation?

Abstract

The chapter analyzes the democratic legitimacy in emerging inter-municipal cooperative (IMC) initiatives in Lithuania. Reflecting the wider discussion on the territorial reforms, the main question is whether IMC arrangements contribute to issues of democratic representation and legitimacy, and what is the role of local actors and institutions in cooperative networking. For empirical evidence the author uses quantitative IMC survey data. The survey was designed to study the preconditions, motives, forms, and impact of inter-municipal cooperation in Lithuania. The analysis reveals the variety of relationships and power networks between different interest groups in IMC processes such as local authorities, communities, and business stakeholders. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the importance of discussing ‘democratic deficit’ problem in municipal cooperative arrangements in the countries with a highly consolidated self-governance systems.