OPENNESS AS A DETERMINANT OF THE ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT IN SLOVAKIA

The primary objective of this research is to identify and quantify the relationship between the openness of local self-governments and their financial health in the Slovak Republic. The study focuses on the largest cities, municipal districts, and the largest municipality in Slovakia during the period from 2010 to 2022. Through correlation analysis, it examines whether and to what extent openness, measured by eleven indicators, influences financial health, and is assessed using ten financial metrics. The methodology employed in this study integrates 11 indicators of openness and 10 financial metrics to systematically evaluate their correlation across 100 Slovak local self-governments during the period 2010–2022. The analysis confirms a strong positive correlation (0.71), with key findings highlighting that municipalities with higher openness tend to manage public resources more efficiently, particularly in areas like municipal enterprises, public participation, and access to information. Keywords: openness, economic efficiency, Slovakia, local self-government, correlation.