Statutory city (Czech Republic)

Prague, Capital of the Czech Republic

In Czech politics, a statutory city (Czech: statutární město) is a municipal corporation which has been granted city status by Act of Parliament. It is more prestigious than the simple title město ("city" or "town"), which can be awarded by the cabinet and chair of the Chamber of Deputies to a municipality which applies for it. Statutory city status is partially ceremonial; the mayor is called primátor, rather than the starosta of other municipalities. Statutory cities are allowed to subdivide into self-governing boroughs (sg. městský obvod or městská část) with their own elected councils; such a statutory city has to issue a statute (statut) that delimits power to boroughs. As of 2016 only seven of total 25 statutory cities have done so. Also the capital of Prague, while not being de iure statutory city, is subdivided into similar self-governing boroughs.

History

The model, derived from its common origin in Austria-Hungary, was renewed after the fall of communism by the Act on Municipalities in 1990, which established 13 statutory cities in addition to Prague, the capital city which is a de facto statutory city. Unlike Austria, before districts of the Czech Republic were abolished only the three largest cities (Brno, Ostrava and Plzeň) constituted a district okres on their own; the others were a part (though always a capital, except Havířov) of a district with smaller municipalities. As the prestige associated with statutory city status grew, 12 additional statutory cities were created by the Act on Municipalities in 2000[1] and its three later amendments.

List

Since 2012, there are 25 statutory cities (plus Prague), comprising all Czech cities over 40 thousand inhabitants:

Name Population[2] Area (km²) Region Statutory city since
Prague (Praha) 1,243,201 496 Prague "time immemorial"
Brno 377,508 230 South Moravian Region 1990
Ostrava 295,653 214 Moravian-Silesian Region 1990
Plzeň 168,034 138 Plzeň Region 1990
Liberec 102,301 106 Liberec Region 1990
Olomouc 99,489 103 Olomouc Region 1990
Ústí nad Labem 93,523 94 Ústí nad Labem Region 1990
České Budějovice 93,253 56 South Bohemian Region 1990
Hradec Králové 92,904 106 Hradec Králové Region 1990
Pardubice 89,432 78 Pardubice Region 1990
Zlín 75,278 119 Zlín Region 1990
Havířov 76,109 32 Moravian-Silesian Region 1990
Kladno 68,519 37 Central Bohemian Region 2000
Most 67,332 87 Ústí nad Labem Region 2000
Opava 57,931 91 Moravian-Silesian Region 1990
Frýdek-Místek 57,135 52 Moravian-Silesian Region 2006
Karviná 56,848 57 Moravian-Silesian Region 2003
Jihlava 50,510 79 Vysočina Region 2000
Děčín 50,104 118 Ústí nad Labem Region 2006
Teplice 50,024 24 Ústí nad Labem Region 2003
Karlovy Vary 49,864 59 Karlovy Vary Region 1990
Chomutov 49,185 29 Ústí nad Labem Region 2006
Přerov 47,373 59 Olomouc Region 2006
Jablonec nad Nisou 45,453 31 Liberec Region 2012
Mladá Boleslav 44,272 29 Central Bohemian Region 2003
Prostějov 44,234 39 Olomouc Region 2012

References

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