THE PRINCIPLES OF SUBSIDIARITY AND DECENTRALISATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE POLISH AND FINNISH LEGAL SYSTEMS

Abstract

The article focuses on the principles of subsidiarity and decentralisation during the COVID-19 pandemic, with particular emphasis on the Polish and Finnish legal sys-tems (both countries in the Baltic Sea Region). How were those constitutional principles concerning self-government “treated” (dealt with) by public authorities? It analyses the principles of subsidiarity and decentralisation, interpretations of the principle of decen-tralisation in both Poland and Finland, relations between the state and local self-govern-ment, cooperation between the government and self-government administration in com-bating the pandemic in selected countries, and Polish and Finnish regulations during the pandemic. Methodologically speaking, many different methods and sources are applied. The methodological approach is analytical (analysis of legal acts, literature, media re-leases and different reports), but also empirical (observation of reality). The thesis is that the principles of subsidiarity and decentralisation during the COVID-19 pandemic were commonly disregarded during the pandemic.