How Small Municipalities Contribute to Robust Crisis Governance—Experiences From Two Recent Large-scale Crises in Czechia

This article explores how small municipalities in Czechia adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic and Ukrainian refugee crisis, and thus contributed to governance robustness. Through 24 semi-structured interviews with mayors, we examine local challenges and responses, revealing how these crises exposed weaknesses in public administration, particularly in decision-making, coordination, and communication at the outset. Mayors played key roles, making swift, independent decisions to meet urgent needs, often bypassing standard municipal procedures. Community engagement such as volunteer networks and collaboration with local organizations proved essential in managing both crises, and horizontal cooperation with neighboring municipalities and regional authorities bolstered their response capacity. The findings underscore the importance of strong local leadership, adaptability, and multi-level governance in handling complex crises while highlighting systemic challenges in national-level crisis coordination. This research emphasizes the critical role of small municipalities in maintaining the robustness of local governance during large-scale crises, especially in their beginnings.