Exploring the role of politicians and bureaucrats in governance of metropolitan areas. Experiences from Czechia

Problems of governance are a recurring theme in research on metropolitan areas, yet the role of politicians, bureaucrats, and political-administrative relations remains underexplored. This article addresses this gap by analyzing political-administrative relations in the governance of Czech metropolitan areas. As metropolitan areas in Czechia were established relatively recently, it is possible to observe the dynamics between politicians and civil servants from their inception. Based on semi-structured interviews with politicians and civil servants from two metropolitan areas, the findings suggest that civil servants hold a relatively strong position due not only to their expertise and knowledge of EU funding opportunities and project management, but also to the limited interest of politicians in the metropolitan agenda. Politicians' low engagement appears to result from a focus on immediate economic benefits and difficulties navigating issues beyond electoral district boundaries. This passive political role contributes to the uncertain status of metropolitan areas, which lack strong political advocacy.