In Constitutional Principles of Local Self-Government in Europe Giovanni Boggero offers a meticulous account of the defining features of European constitutional local government law using both an international and comparative law perspective. The book argues that differences between local government systems in Europe, typical examples of internal affairs of a State, can be smoothed away by construing a consistent system of constitutional principles to be coherently applied at domestic level across the whole European legal space. This system can be best grasped by looking at the European Charter of Local Self-Government, which embodies a concept of self-government rooted in common legal traditions, and at its subsequent practice within the Council of Europe.
Giovanni Boggero (1987) earned his Ph.D. at the Università del Piemonte Orientale “Amedeo Avogadro” and is currently Research Fellow (assegnista di ricerca) in Constitutional Law at the Università degli Studi di Torino. His interests include public international law, comparative constitutional law and local government law.
Foreword Acknowledgments
Introduction: The European Charter of Local Self-Government as an International Treaty with Constitutional Significance
1 The Historical Legitimacy of the Charter IThe Roots of Chartered Rights of Local Authorities IIThe Origins of the Charter within the Council of Europe IIIThe Normative Guidance Along and Beyond Council of Europe Borders
2 The Charter as a Source of International, EU and Domestic Law IInternational Treaty Law IIThe Charter’s Guarantees as General Principles of EU Law? IIIRank of the Charter under Domestic Law of Council of Europe Member States
3 Concept and Design of Local Self-Government in Europe IThe Charter’s Concept of Local Self-Government IIInstitutional Design of Local Self-Government IIIConclusions
4 The Relevance of the Charter for International and Comparative Public Law IAdvancing Public International Law IIEstablishing a European Constitutional Local Government Law IIIIntegrating Different Local Government Models
Bibliography Index
All interested in how common European constitutional legal principles have been evolving and anyone concerned with local self-government as a constitutional guarantee of any democratic regime based on the rule of law.