Power to municipalities: the regional stage of the forum "Small Motherland - the Power of Russia" has begun

The first regional session of the II All-Russian Municipal Forum "Small Motherland - the Power of Russia" was held in Murmansk. The participants discussed environmental protection issues. The event in Murmansk was the first of 16 regional days that will be held before the main forum scheduled for April 2025. The unique format of the event allows all stakeholders to address problems at the municipal level of government and find solutions. How the state supports local self-governments is the subject of Izvestia.

Where the regional days of the forum "Small Motherland - the Power of Russia" are held

The first regional day of the II All-Russian Municipal Forum "Small Homeland - the Power of Russia" - one of the most important events for all municipalities in the country - was held in Murmansk on January 24-25. The regional days will be held from January to April in 16 subjects and will cover a wide range of topics: from ecology to digitalization and international relations. The goal of the forum is to improve the quality of life in towns and villages, to "fine-tune" the legal and regulatory framework so that at the local - the closest to citizens - level of government all issues are solved more effectively. The event is organized by the All-Russian Association for the Development of Local Self-Government (VARMSU) with the support of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation.

"This year the forum "Small Motherland - the Power of Russia" will open its doors for the second time. And the regional days of the forum are certainly its peculiarity," said Evgeny Grachev, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration for Domestic Policy. - This is an additional opportunity for representatives of municipalities to discuss issues related to a variety of topics and problems of concern to residents, to find ways to solve them. It is the municipal community that responds daily to the operational requests of our citizens, and such meetings within the forum contribute to the exchange of experience, successful practices, and the search for the most effective solutions".

The first of the marathon of regional events was the session "Ecomunicipality" in Murmansk. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation acted as a partner of WARMSU in Murmansk. Together with the Ministry, the participants not only discussed key problems, but also worked out specific proposals on standards of eco-education of the population, municipal control of the environment and making adjustments to the current legislation, as well as initiatives for the creation and development of specially protected natural areas. Andrei Chibis, Governor of the Murmansk Region emphasized the importance of coordinating industrial development and nature protection.

"It is important for us to maintain a delicate balance between economic development and the preservation of environmental well-being. This balance is already laid in the basis of the strategic plan "In the North - to live", which we have been implementing since 2019. And a lot has been done over the years: total emissions have been reduced by 32%, more than 1,600 landfills have been eliminated, more than 8,700 hectares of forests have been restored, and more than 287 kilometers of coastline have been cleaned," said the head of the region.

The next session will be held in Tatarstan on January 29-30, its main topic will be comfortable living environment. Regional days will also be held in Novgorod Region, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Moscow, Chechnya, Rostov, Kaliningrad and Ivanovo Regions, as well as in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area, Tula Region, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area, Nizhny Novgorod, Kaluga, Amur and Sakhalin Regions.

About 8,000 representatives of municipalities will take part in regional discussions. 2.5 million employees of local administrations and municipal institutions will gain experience and knowledge in solving urgent problems. The developed resolutions and results, as well as the most promising management solutions will be presented at the II All-Russian Municipal Forum "Small Motherland - the Power of Russia" in Moscow in April 2025. And the proposals of the forum itself will be presented to the head of state, emphasized Irina Guseva, co-chair of WARMSU, a member of the Presidium of the Presidential Council for the Development of Local Self-Governance.

"We are launching a new stage of municipal dialog. The 16 regional agendas are based on the issues that were previously raised in the framework of the Municipal Dialogue project with heads of municipalities and their teams, " she said. - The range of topics is wide: from the creation of a comfortable living environment and ecology to the economy and interaction with the population. The final resolution with concrete proposals for solving the problems set before us by the citizens will be included in the agenda of the Presidential Council for the Development of Local Self-Government".

The All-Russian Municipal Forum is a unique format where the most important issues of local self-government are discussed. There is no similar practice in other countries of the world, emphasized Vladimir Shapovalov, political scientist and Deputy Director of the Institute of History and Politics of the Moscow State University.

- The forum makes it possible to actualize the agenda, identify pain points, and propose solutions. Discussion of the municipal agenda with the participation of representatives of all subjects of the Federation forms a unified space of municipal power in the country," the expert noted.

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How local government in Russia will change

The first municipal forum was held in January 2024 with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the same time, the trend for greater attention to the municipal level of government was formed as early as 2023. In particular, new projects have emerged - the "Municipal Dialogue" marathon aimed at identifying the problem field at the local level and developing solutions at the regional and federal levels, as well as the "Mayors' School" program for the development of the personnel management reserve.

The all-Russian municipal award "Service" and the honorary title "Honored Worker of Local Self-Government" were also established. The award is given to people whose concrete deeds and destinies have become an example of service to society and residents, to those who advocate positive changes where they live - in cities, towns and villages. Last year, Vladimir Putin personally participated in awarding the winners.

In fact, we can talk about a new stage in the development of local self-government in Russia, says Vladimir Shapovalov.

- In 2020, amendments were made to the Constitution of the Russian Federation. One of the key amendments is the creation of a unified system of public authority. Bringing different levels of public power closer to each other, integrating local government into the system of public power is the goal of the new law," the political scientist explained.

It is obvious that the state's support of the municipal community and constant attention to local self-governance show that this level of government is becoming more important. Systemic solutions are aimed at strengthening its authority, WARMSU emphasizes.