Federalism and Local Politics in Russia

10 Local self-governmentin RussiaBetween decentralization andrecentralizationHellmut Wollmann andElena Gritsenko1 Task, scope and concept of the chapterIn this chapter we highlight key features of the recent law on local selfgovernment(LSG) 1 which was ratified on 3 October 2003 under the title‘On the General Principles of the Organization of Local Self-Governmentin the Russian Federation’ 2 (hereafter, 2003 Federal Law). 3 Our accountand analysis will be guided particularly by three objectives. First, one ofthe focal interests of the Article is to place the 2003 Federal Law in adevelopmental perspective, that is, to explore whether and in which crucialaspects it links up with earlier stages of legislation on LSG andwhere it deviates from them. Such a historical and developmentalapproach will allow us to gauge in which direction Russia’s legislative andinstitutional system of LSG is moving – towards greater or lesser degreesof decentralization or (re-)centralization. Thus, reference will be made to:the law, ‘On Local Self-Government in the RSFSR’ adopted on 6 July1991 by the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation (hereafter, 1991Federal Law); the Federal Constitution enacted on 12 December 1993;the Federal law, ‘On the General Principles of the Organization of LocalSelf-Government’ enacted on 28 August 1995 (hereafter, 1995 FederalLaw). 4 References shall also be made to the law ‘On the Principles ofLocal Self-Government and Local Economy’ 5 which was adopted by theUSSR Supreme Soviet on 5 April 1990 (hereafter, 1990 Law).Second, the chapter will be structured by sequentially singling out anddiscussing crucial aspects of the regulation and institutionalization ofLSG in order to identify the developmental trajectory within eachsequence. Third, where it appears appropriate the chapter will put thelegislative development, particularly the 2003 Federal Law, in an internationallycomparative perspective, including references to the EuropeanCharter of Local Self-Government which was adopted by the Council ofEurope in 1985. It was ratified by the Russian Parliament (State Duma)on April 1998 6 and came into force in Russia on 1 September 1998. 7