While examining decentralization as a model of organization and a process of functioning of public authority at the national, regional and local levels in the state and legal aspect, the author considers that in the constitutional field through the realization of principle of national sovereignty it has already become partly true-to-life in the regulations of the acting Constitution of Ukraine.
The author also marks that etymology of decentralization as a complex phenomenon has its expression in self-government, which in actual fact cannot be reduced only to territorial organization and authoritative powers. While analyzing the approaches toward the definition of concept “self-government” in the European legislative literature, the author comes to the conclusion that existing category broad explanations results in some contradictions during objectivization of this political and legal phenomenon into the reality.
To overcome the resistance to reform and to make the process of decentralization happen more intensively and consistently, the author considers that its complex constitutional and overall political and legal regulations, as well as realization of the proper control from the side of the civil society are obligatory. The author is convinced that decentralization has to become an effective safety device against separatism and various attempts of artificial federalization of the country.
Key words: decentralization, self-government, principle of national sovereignty, political and legal regulation
Mykola PUKHTYNSKYI
Українська редакція
