Governance challenges of resilient local development in peripheral regions – book chapter by Réka Horeczki and Ilona Pálné Kovács

The aim of this chapter is to examine the concepts of resilience in regional development in Hungary focusing on the local dimension. Special attention is given to the role of local governments in disadvantaged regions. Peripheral municipalities with a low capacity to mobilize their own resources, and located far from development and power centres, have a particularly limited room for manoeuvre. The question is not whether peripheral position in power and space constitutes a developmental disadvantage, but whether and how this double disadvantage can be compensated by local adaptational strategies. Local governments are currently faced with unprecedented challenges, which they can only overcome by strengthening their resilience capacity. The involvement of local governments is key to shaping resilience in the local dimension. Our research focuses on the position of local governments within the system of multi-level governance and their ability to advance their interests and strategies.