Stating that local governments in one country can learn from experiences in other countries is hazardous. No two countries work according to the same system. Yet there are striking similarities in the way municipalities in Western Europe deal with issues they face. A major challenge for European local authorities is to overcome tensions between democracy and governance prerequisites. This book contains thirteen new local case studies, conducted by authors from twelve European countries. They deal with themes such as reforms of representative democracy, interplay between local governance and new forms of participation, stakeholder participation, and scale of governance arrangements. In the chapters tensions between democracy and governance at the local level are discussed. Problems, approaches, and solutions are all part of this book. The findings of this publication are challenges to both scientists and practitioners.