During the closing years of the 20th Century the relation of the city of Zagreb towards its environment varied. The various territorial divisions and the various political and legal conditions did not favor a cohesion within the urban whole and a development of the city as the Croatian metropolis. By the Statute on the City of Zagreb of 1992, which defined a double statute of Zagreb (a city and a county) its autonomy was significantly restricted, as well as the rights and the authority in relation to the other cities in the Republic. As a county Zagreb received the administrative com- petencies of a county, which it performs in accordance and under the oversight of the state administration (the Government and the ministries). The authority of the city is centralized in the City administration board and the person of the mayor. The responsibility of the mayor and the City administration board for a performance ofthe competencies and thè tasks ofthe state administration, even those from the self-government authority of the City assembly, is dire eted towards the Government and the ministries. The Government might replace the mayor, with no right of appeal, if he did not apply its ordi- nances and directives. The state oversight over the work ofthe City Assembly and its bodies, as well as over the administrative bodies established by it, is comprehensive and not exhausted only in a control oflegality (as in other townships).Such a position 0/ thè local self-government in thè City of Zagreb has not brought a ne ed for a division onto lower units of locai self-government (city quarters and neighborhood boards) so that those institutions bave not been established at all. Also, during thè last seven years nor thè form of a direct citizens’ decision-making were not employed, although there have occurred occasions for such decisions or at least for a confirmation of some proposais ofthe City assembly. The relation of thè City of Zagreb to the County of Zagreb has been for- mally ordered by the Statute on the City of Zagreb. However, besides to a formai meetings, there had not been common actions, notwithstanding a great number of questions of a common interest which should have been solved. In a way of conclusion, for the City of Zagreb a new statute should be passed, which would be grounded on the democratie tradition as well as on an analysis and the expert evaluation of the significance of the previous experiments. The new statute should fully legalize the principles of the European Charter on Local Self-government and skillfully implement the experiences of the administrations of the European metropolitan cities onto the reality and developmental needs o tthe city of Zagreb as the Croatian metropolis. Such the ambitions should guide the bodies of the City assembly while elaborating a proper statute of the City of Zagreb