Publication details
Municipal Councillors in Post-Conflict Societies
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Type | Chapter in a book |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | The chapter explores the attitudes of municipal councillors in four post-conflict countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, and Serbia) and compares them with those of councillors in twenty politically stable European states. Existing post-conflict studies are largely qualitative and rarely address local government institutions. Our research fills this gap by offering a unique perspective through quantitative analysis based on comparative survey data from more than 24,000 councillors across Europe. The findings demonstrate that municipal councillors in post-conflict countries place greater importance on traditional values, minority representation, and religious interests than their counterparts in stable European societies. These results highlight the long-term impact of war on the attitudes of local political leaders who play a crucial role in the process of post-conflict reconciliation. The study contributes to broader debates on the role of local governance in peacebuilding and democratic consolidation in fragile post-conflict contexts. |
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