by Eugenio Vaccari | May 28, 2026 | Australia, Bankruptcy, Financial distress, Local authorities, Local government, Local public entities
Across Australia, warnings are mounting that local government finances are reaching a critical breaking point. In New South Wales, a growing number of councils face severe fiscal distress, raising concerns about their ability to deliver essential services and maintain...
by Eugenio Vaccari | Sep 8, 2025 | Bankruptcy, Belgium, Financial distress, Local authorities, Local government, Local public entities
On June 9, 2024, Belgium held regional elections that left the Brussels Region in a state of profound political paralysis. More than a year later, the Region remains without a functioning government, trapped in a feedback loop of political deadlock and fiscal...
by Eugenio Vaccari | Jan 3, 2025 | India, Local authorities, Local government, Local public entities
India’s infrastructure capacity has struggled to keep pace with its rapid urbanisation. Municipalities, tasked with building and maintaining urban infrastructure, face several challenges, including dwindling revenues, high administrative costs, a deteriorating credit...
by Eugenio Vaccari | Dec 21, 2024 | Local authorities, Local government, Municipal financial distress, Municipal merger, UK
Dr. Eugenio Vaccari (Senior Lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London) explores the key proposals and implications of the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024. Highlighting the financial pressures faced by local authorities and the lack...
by Eugenio Vaccari | Nov 27, 2024 | Belgium, Financial distress, Local public entities, Public-private partnerships, Water Companies
Inter-municipal corporations in Belgium, tasked with critical public services like water supply and sewer management, face mounting financial challenges. Vivaqua, a water and sewer company serving Brussels, exemplifies these struggles, with its debt surging to €1.17...