Hejtmanství

Hejtmanství is the term used for the executive authority of a kraj (region) in the Czech Republic. It denotes the office and the administrative apparatus that governs a region and implements decisions of the regional assembly. Historically, the term referred to the office of a regional governor, or hejtman, in medieval and early modern Czech lands, and the word survives in contemporary administrative language to describe the regional executive.

The core components of hejtmanství are: the hejtman, who heads the regional executive; the rada kraje (regional council), a body of councilors who set policy and supervise the administration, and the krajský úřad (regional office or authority), the civil service that administers day-to-day tasks and provides services to residents. The regional assembly (zastupitelstvo kraje) elects the hejtman and the members of the rada; the assembly approves the budget and major strategic decisions.

Selected powers include preparation and implementation of regional development policies, management of a portion of the state tasks delegated to the regions, including education at the secondary level, social and health services, transport infrastructure, environment and culture, and administration of the regional budget and grant schemes. The krajský úřad executes decisions of the assembly and rada, coordinates public services in the region, and represents the region in relations with the state and other regions.

History and reform: The concept of a regional self-government with a kraj and its hejtman was established in the Czech Republic in the early 2000s. The term hejtmanství has persisted in official and common usage, reflecting both the current executive office and its historic roots.