hejtman

Hejtman is a title used in the Czech lands and the Czech Republic for the head of a regional government or, historically, of an administrative district. In modern Czechia, the term denotes the head of a kraj (regional self-government). The hejtman is elected by the regional council from among its members and acts as the head of the regional executive, responsible for implementing council decisions and directing regional administration.

Historically, the office existed in Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia as an official representing the king and exercising civil authority over a district or county. The position encompassed administration, justice, taxation, and, at times, military leadership within an area called an hejtmanství. The term and function persisted under various rulers and legal systems, and in the 20th century it appeared in the governance structures of Czechoslovakia in different forms. With the establishment of self-governing regions in the Czech Republic in 2000, the title was revived as the elected leader of a region.

In contemporary practice, the hejtman heads the regional government and chairs the council of ministers (or the regional government body) alongside other regional officials such as vice-hejtmans (náměstci hejtmana). The hejtman's responsibilities include budgeting, regional development, transport, education, health, culture, and external relations for the region. The regional assembly and the hejtman collaborate to set policy, approve the budget, and guide long-term strategies.

Etymology and precise historical usage vary by period, but in both historical and modern contexts the role signifies a chief administrative leader appointed or elected to govern a defined territorial area on behalf of higher authority or the regional electorate.