Richard Rybníček calls for reform of Slovakia's self-governing regions

Richard Rybníček, President of the Union of Cities of Slovakia (ÚMS), has called for a reform of the country's higher territorial units, arguing that current self-governing regions are inefficient and do not reflect historical or natural regional divisions.

Rybníček suggests that reforming or even abolishing these higher-level administrative units would yield greater savings than the forced merging of small municipalities. He advocates for cooperation between small towns to emerge naturally rather than through compulsion.

While the Union of Cities of Slovakia, the Association of Towns and Municipalities of Slovakia (ZMOS), and the Association of Self-Governing Regions of Slovakia (SK8) all agree on the necessity of public administration reform, they differ on the implementation. ZMOS and SK8 are requesting a share of VAT and income taxes from the state, whereas Rybníček proposes a flat sum allocated per inhabitant.

Additionally, Rybníček expressed concerns regarding centers of shared services, noting that while they currently operate on EU subsidies, they may become unsustainable without state support once those subsidies expire.