Pakholok V. The functioning of the local self-government in the unitary state

The modern theoretical approaches to understanding the forms of state structure according to the processes of decentralization and regionalization are considered. The author presets the complex comparative analysis of local self-government in the different types of decentralized states: relatively decentralized (France) and highly decentralied (Spain). As the result, the possible ways for increasing the autonomy of local self-government unities and their conseguences are defined. The thesis proposes the recommendations for the local government reform in Ukraine, especially in the field of control authorities of the state bodies, financial and budgetary relations, and distribution of authority between different levels of public administration.