Unitary State

Is decentralisation not harmful for the unitary state?

"Taking Government to the People" does not imply that regional councils and local authorities become independent or autonomous bodies, however, or that they are de-linked from central government and are not subordinate to national policies and priorities. The common loyalty to a unitary state should never be doubted or questioned.

On the contrary, taking government to the people in a unitary state means that both central and sub-national governments share the responsibility for delivering services to the people, for the socio-economic development of urban as well as rural areas, and for maintaining peace and stability in the country.

A decentralized governance system provides at the same time opportunities for a certain uniformity across a country but also opportunities for making required local adjustments in order to be more responsive to the needs and interests of the local population.