Statutory city (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 městys (literally "market 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 boroughs (obvod or část) with their own elected councils; such a city has to issue a statute (statut) that delimits power to boroughs, and few have done so.
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 |
25px 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 |