Objectives:
This study attempts to compare the differences and similarities among the fourteen member states of the EU. The central research question is analysing the various constitutional guarantees granted to local self-governments, which, despite the common European framework provided by the European Charter of Local Self-Government (ECLSG), reflect deeply rooted state traditions. The content of constitutional norms was analysed, with the ECLSG serving as a normative point of reference. The main findings indicate that there are four fundamental models of local self-government.

Material and methods:
Formal-dogmati, legal-comparative

Results:
All of the analysed constitutional systems indicate that local self-government is an important element of public order. Fundamental principles, such as the democratic legitimacy of bodies elected through direct elections, the granting of legal personality to local government units and endowing them with their own property, and subjecting their activities to supervision primarily limited to the criterion of legality, are universally accepted.

Conclusions:
The diversity of constitutional models of local self-government within the European Union is not a relic of the past, but rather an active component of European constitutional pluralism. It demonstrates that the concept of subsidiarity can be implemented in different ways depending on a sovereign state's historical context and institutional arrangements. In the face of global challenges that manifest locally, the strength of constitutional guarantees for local self-government becomes a crucial factor. These guarantees determine the capacity of local communities to respond innovatively and flexibly to emerging challenges, and consequently influence the resilience and vitality of democracy at the level closest to citizens.