THE FRAGMENTATION OF POLITICAL REPRESENTATION AT MUNICIPAL LEVEL IN SLOVAK REPUBLIC IN PERIOD 2002 - 2018

Presented study sheds light on the developments of political representation at municipal level and tries to identify the sources of its fragmentation. These sources are vested in electoral laws, in development of national party system and in public distrust towards partisan candidates including changes in decision-making dynamics of the electorate. All mentioned factors shape the popular preference to support independent candidates in achieving municipal offices. This phenomenon gained on intensity between 2002 and 2018. The trend of ever-increasing support for civic and non-partisan candidates also introduces practical implications and risks in terms of lacking effective governing, transparency and of municipal policy control. Factors such as: non-existence of integrative organizational basis for political decision making, low levels of civic skills or elusive ownership structure of regional media. Most importantly, it is the inability of established political parties to maintain the functionality of democratic institutions in terms of public administration. All these factors increase the risks of decision-making at municipal level. Such development is part of deepening crisis of trust in political parties and leads to risks of forming a defect democracy.