Local and Regional Governments in Europe

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is a unitary state composed of municipalities (opstina).
State structure
unitary
Capital city
Skopje
Currency
Denar (MKD)
Number of
Sub-national governments
2012 2016
LOCAL 85 82
Population
2,108,000
Geographical size
25,713 km²
Vote
non-compulsory
Local level 81 municipalities (opstina) and the capital city of Skopje
The local council (sovet na opstinata)
is elected by direct universal suffrage
for a period of four years. The number
of municipal councillors is determined
by law and depends on the
demographic size of the municipality.
The mayor (gradonacalnik) is the
municipality's executive body and is
elected by direct universal suffrage for
a four-year mandate. He/she executes
decisions made by the municipal
council and submits draft municipal
acts to the local council. The mayor
represents the municipality, acts on
its behalf and is responsible for the
organisation, performance and quality
of services of its administration. He/
she cannot be a local councillor at the
same time as mayor.
The country's capital, the city of
Skopje, is a special unit of local
self–government made up of ten
independent municipalities. The
capital's independent municipalities
have individual competences, some
of which are shared with Skopje,
and which set them apart from the
country's remaining 74 municipalities.
Examples of these shared
competences include property tax,
road maintenance, urban planning
and building permits.
Competences
• Urban and spatial planning
• Environment
• Local economic development
• Water supply and treatment
• Road maintenance
• Culture
• Sports and leisure
• Tourism
• Social services
• Health care
• Child care
• Elementary and secondary
education
• Fire services
• Disaster protection and assistance
CEMR in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Association of the Units of Local Self-Government of the Republic of Macedonia (www.zels.org.mk)
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