As part of the Via Carpatia Network project, research was conducted among local governments, and the result is a report.
The development of cooperation between local government units in Central and Eastern Europe is extremely important from the point of view of several areas. Firstly, the development of the Three Seas Initiative, based on the pursuit of infrastructural development, presupposes local govern-mental cooperation. The assumption is that the Initiative develops not only through actions taken at the presidential level, but also those on the macro-regional level, making cooperation between local governments more effective. Secondly, the area of Central and Eastern Europe faces security issues, is closely related to the protection of the external border of the European Union and, at the same time, the eastern flank of NATO. The development of international cooperation between local government units is a prerequisite of not only macro-regional development, but also of security activities. In this context, independent research was undertaken, the aim of which was to identify the ongoing cooperation between the local governments of the Three Seas countries, in particular those from Poland and Hungary.
The focus was put on identifying the conditions and possibilities for Polish-Hungarian cooperation between local government units, along with the opportunities and challenges associated with it. The research was prepared as a survey using the CAWI technique (Computer-Assisted Web Interview). This survey took the form of a standardized questionnaire given to respondents electronically (using the Google Forms platform).
The result of the research was a report prepared in the form of a monograph. The report presents in particular the characteristics and analysis of international cooperation between Polish and Hungarian local governments. It should be emphasised that the research was carried out in the context of contemporary socio-economic changes experienced in both Europe and worldwide, including the 2-year period of the SARS-CoV2 virus pandemic, as well as the ongoing war in Ukraine and the growing security crisis in the European Union since 24 February 2022.
The presented report consists of an introduction, three main chapters, a conclusion and a list of references. Chapter 1 deals with international cooperation between local governments along the Via Carpathia route in the context of good practices and determinants of development. The chapter contains interdisciplinary scientific considerations introducing the broad topic of international cooperation between local governments, especially in the area of Central and Eastern Europe. Chapter 2 presents a research analysis of Polish-Hungarian cooperation between local government units. It presents the results of the conducted research, taking into account issues relating both to opportunities for future development and to issues defining the barriers to the cooperation analysed. Chapter 3 presents conclusions and recommendations for the implementation of Polish-Hungarian cooperation between local government units. Each chapter has a three-part internal structure, consisting of an introduction, the main content and a conclusion. The considerations contained in this monograph are the result of research conducted on the basis of the empirical, dogmatic and also historical method. The research analysis finishes with the presentation of final conclusions and recommendations concerning the model of cooperation between Polish and Hungarian local government units. The proposed model is also intended by the research team to be an impulse for further research aimed at deepening the presented theses and conclusions, particularly in view of the further development of the Three SeasInitiative and the current geopolitical situation.
