Networking leader and local oligarchies

This paper presents a case study from Hungary about the “Nagykunságért” LEADER Local Action Group, which demonstrates the limits of an actor’s involvement in local rural development. Project participation in this region depends on the financial and managerial capacity of participants. Actors with capacity are involved with the project as a matter of course, but those without capacity are crowded out and lack access to resources. Actors in rural development are characterised by their ability to disseminate diverse kinds of information and use of knowledge. Inclusion, exclusion, and the power of local oligarchies are main concepts in this paper, which studies LEADER as a tool which may be used either for democracy or against local democratic control over the distribution of development funds.