Comparative analysis of the distribution of budgetary resources in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Ukraine

Abstract

The article examines the distribution and use of budgetary resources across different levels of governments in post-socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Ukraine. The relevance of the study derives from the need to assess fiscal decentralization models in the context of institutional transformation and current challenges, including those related to wartime conditions. The analysis focuses on the relationship between the institutional structure of subnational governance, the degree of fragmentation of local communities, and the patterns of budgetary resource allocation. Particular attention is given to the comparative assessment of revenue and expenditure structures, with an emphasis on ensuring cross-country comparability by excluding social security funds from the general government sector. The results indicate that most post-socialist countries have a centralized pattern of revenue formation combined with a relatively decentralized execution of public expenditures. This configuration gives rise to an asymmetry between the sources of financial resources and the responsibilities for their use. It is argued that this asymmetry represents a structural feature of intergovernmental relations and constrains the financial autonomy of local governments. The analysis also shows that more fragmented municipal systems are associated with higher levels of revenue centralization and stronger dependence on intergovernmental transfers, whereas larger territorial communities tend to provide a more stable basis for local fiscal capacity. In the case of Ukraine, a dual trend is observed. On the one hand, decentralization reforms have strengthened the financial capacity of local communities; on the other hand, wartime conditions have led to a temporary re-centralization of financial resources and an expanded role of the central government in financing priority expenditures. The findings may be used to improve the allocation of budgetary resources and to achieve a better alignment between revenue assignment and expenditure responsibilities, particularly in the context of post-war recovery.