Denmark has a vast public sector, where three levels constitute the administrative realm: municipalities, regions and a central state government.
The five regions' main responsibility is to run the hospitals while the central state government takes care of a range of specific tasks, among others research and universities, taxation, and environmental protection.
The municipalities, however, are the key stones in the public sector when it comes to citizens service. Three significant functions can be identified as the role of the municipalities.
First, the municipalities are the citizens' main entrance to the public sector. Thus, a variety of citizens-guidance and -services are carried out by the municipalities. This makes the municipality an obvious place for citizens to turn in case of a problem or question. Therefore, the intention to put 'citizens in the centre' is to be realised by the municipalities. This includes a strategy of how to nurture citizens-involvement in local decision making, in order to make municipalities democratic frontrunners.
Second, most of the specific welfare policies such as day care centres, schools, elder care, housing, labour market guidance, and libraries are carried out by the municipalities. Hence, citizens' everyday life is surrounded by services provided by the municipality. Besides the citizens related services, the municipalities are (in collaboration with the Regions) responsible for industrial- and trade service, the overall regional development, public transportation, and special education.
Third, the municipalities are able to influence the regions' policymaking via a 'contact-committee'. The contact-committee is chaired by the chairman of the Regional Council while the other members are all Mayors in the region. The committee makes decisions on a range of issues that constitute policy-areas where the municipality and regional level interface. As a parallel to the Regions 'contact-committee' Local Government Denmark (LGDK) which is the interest group and member authority of Danish municipalities, has established municipality 'contact-councils' in each region. The councils do not make legislative decisions but coordinate positions of the municipalities and nominate candidates for various positions. The members of the 'contact-councils' in the Capital Region are all 29 mayors and other political appointed members.
