Name of the project: LocGov Research Network
Project duration: january 2022 – december 2028
Partner: A consortium bringing together more than 30 academic institutions from across Europe
Researcher: Dejan Bursać
The LocGov Research Network is a European research network dedicated to the comparative study of local government. Since the late 1990s, it has connected scholars across Europe through joint surveys, publications, and collaborative research projects.
IFDT has been involved in the network since 2022, through a project focusing on municipal councillors. The survey was conducted between summer 2023 and summer 2024, with partners from 28 countries contributing to a dataset of more than 30 000 respondents. Given the scope and diversity of the findings, the results have been presented in a two-volume publication (Heinelt et al. 2026).
The database is available open access here
The publication is available here
The LocGov Research Network is currently preparing its third survey of mayors in Europe. Building on two previous rounds conducted over the past two decades, Mayors III will examine the evolving profiles, attitudes, and working conditions of mayors across more than 40 European countries.
More information about the network