bashki

Bashki is the Albanian term for a local government unit, typically translated as municipality. It is used in Albania and in Albanian-speaking regions to denote a self-governing local authority responsible for a defined urban or rural area. A bashki is usually governed by an elected mayor and a municipal council, and may include administrative units that group together towns, villages, and neighborhoods within its territory.

In Albania, a 2015 local government reform reduced the number of municipalities to 61, concentrating authority and services in larger bashki while preserving sub-municipal administrative units. The reform aimed to improve efficiency, budgeting, and local planning. In Kosovo, the term bashki is also used to describe the country's 38 municipalities under its local self-government system.

Common responsibilities of bashki include urban and rural planning, local infrastructure and roads, waste management, water supply and sanitation, primary education and culture at the local level, social services, and local economic development. Bashki raise revenue through local taxes and fees and coordinate with national authorities on larger projects.

Notable examples of bashki in Albania include Tirana, Durrës, Shkodër, and Vlorë, which serve as major urban centers in their regions. The concept remains central to discussions of local governance in Albanian-speaking areas and is defined by national laws that set the division of powers between central and local authorities.