Contents 5 // Contents // List of tables... 7 // List of figures...9 // Abbreviations and Acronyms...ю // Preface...13 // Part I // 1 Czech and Polish urban politics two decades after transition // to democracy...17 // Ewa Ganowicz and Radomir Sztwierinia // 2 Municipal democracy or democratic governance in the cities? // Axiological and procedural aspects...25 // Lech Rubisz // Part II // 3 The region of Opole and the role of selected cities...36 // Aleksandra Trzcieliňska-Polus // 4 The identity of the city of Opole...48 // Danula Kisielewicz and Piolr Bujak // 5 Patterns of political competition in selected cities of Opole region ... 58 // Božena Wroniszemka // 6 The media image of selected cities in the Opole region...73 // Adam Drosik // 7 Local government and civil society institutions in selected cities // of the Opole region...86 // Ewa Ganowicz // 8 The legal framework for municipal politics in Poland...102 // Piolr Klimontowski // б Cities in Transition // Part III // 9 Local politics in the Czech Republic: principles, functioning // and main issues...112 // Pavel íaradin // 10 Olomouc Region and its cities...122 // Karel Páral // n Political representation of the Olomouc Region...132 // Michal Kuděla // 12 Civic participation and local democracy in cities of // the Olomouc Region...148 // Radomir Sztwiertria // Part IV // 13 Conclusion: Polish and Czech urban governance in comparative // perspective...161 // Pavel Saradin // Bibliography...171 // Notes on the