Wassenhoven Greece Managing Across Levels of Government OECD 1997

2018

The study aims to determine the progress of the central and municipal administrations and their attitudes towards the process of decentralization in Greece; their competences and attitudes regarding decentralization; the degree of completion of decentralization; and the enhancement of the qualification of the central and municipal administrations. The study is based on a questionnaire which included questions regarding the opinion and the attitudes of the administration towards the process decentralization in Greece. The survey was conducted with 95 civil servants. The results outline certain difficulties in the decentralization process as well as ways to overcome them.

There is no doubt that even a cursory examination of the indisputable efforts for decentralization in Greece, will reveal that the main problem lies within the ever expanding bureaucratic labyrinth of its political decision making processes and the underlying political and administrative system that generates and supports them. In short, this political system seems to strive for inclusiveness and broad acceptance, rather than theoretical consistency or elegance, setting the government incapable to play a truly coordinating role and exhibit the admistrative wisdom that it implies. Seeking in this respect, to accommodate new demands as they emerge by means, insofar as possible, that leave previous arrangements (programs and administrative regulations) undisturbed, which in turn involve the least possible disruption for public enterprises, as well as the least possible inconvenience and annoyance for institutions and individuals alike, who have built their life styles around the expect...

International Journal of Sciences

Τhe public sector in Greece faces an increasingly urgent challenge today. There is a strong need to find the ways and set the measures to reform it in depth with long-lasting outcomes. These reforms depend on a new structured public administration to carry them through. The present paper analyses the basic concepts and the most important theoretical approaches to the cognitive subject of public administration and public policy, while thoroughly examining the attitudes that make up the public policy cycle in the light of different theoretical approaches. In addition, the most important reformist trends are presented as vital proposals in the traditional form of public administration and policy.

A. The organization of the public sector A.1 The main state institutions A.2. The central government A.3.The devolved state administrations A.4. Local Self-Government. A.5. Sectoral self-administration. A.6. The broader public sector. B. Central and local government employees. C. Recent changes in human resources management II. THE MAIN FUNCTIONAL AND CULTURAL FEATURES OF THE GREEK ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM. A. The Greek state as a "non-Weberian" bureaucracy. B. Functional effects of the non-Weberian bureaucratic features. C. Effects of the non-Weberian bureaucratic features on the human resources management. D. What do Greek public sector unions do: collective bargaining and "collective clientelism" E. Unions' representatives focus groups' findings III. CONCLUSIONS. I. STRUCTURAL DIMENSIONS OF THE GREEK PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION A. The organization of the public sector The major institutional and organizational parameters of the public sector in Greece are the following: A.1. The main state institutions Greece is a parliamentary republic with a ceremonial president while the prerogatives of the head of the executive are exercised by the prime minister. The organization of the Greek state is governed by the treaties of the European Union, of which Greece is a full member since 1981 and the Constitution of 1975 under its 2008 revision. Article 28 of the Constitution provides that in order to serve important national interests, constitutional powers may be delegated, by treaty or agreement, to international organizations, establishing by this way the basis for the country's participation in the European integration process. Main actors of the parliamentary system are the political parties that, under Article 29 of the Constitution, are entitled to receive financial support by the state for their electoral and operating expenses. The Parliament (Vouli) consists of 300 members elected for a four years term by direct suffrage. The President is elected by the Parliament for a five years term. He has the exclusive competency to confer an exploratory mandate to form a government, to appoint the prime minister, to dissolve the Parliament if a government lost its 'working majority' in the Parliament, or was defeated on a confidence motion and to refer back law drafts passed by it. None other act of the President of the Republic does not apply nor be executed unless it is cosigned by the competent minister, including presidential decrees that are secondary normative acts for the implementation of laws. The legislative function is exercised by the Parliament and the President of the Republic. The laws passed by the Parliament, are issued by the President and published in the Official Gazette. A.2. The central government The executive power is exercised by the Government and the President of the Republic. The Government determines and directs public policies in general. Members of the Government are the Prime Minister who ensures governmental unity and directs the actions of public agencies in implementing public policies and the ministers who carry out the duties prescribed by the law. The vice-ministers, who are not members of the Cabinet, are exercising the powers conferred jointly by the Prime Minister and the competent Minister. The number, titles and competencies of the ministries are decided by the Prime Minister. At present, based on a Prime Minister's decision issued on 21-06-2012, the Government comprises 16 ministerial portfolios 1

Acta Europeana Systemica, 2020

Reforms in EU member states as well in Greek public sector are based upon the Refit system. Main purpose is the “catharsis” of Greek public sector in order to reduce the deficiency of General Government according to the MO’s programs. That caused redundancy, mobility, availability of the public servants. The main purpose is to regulate the state upon principles appropriate to the agreed objectives of Lisbon treaty that must be flexible. This kind of flexicurity is based on a highly competitive social market economy via the precarity system in order to diminish the economic crisis.

This is an indicative bibliography on public administration in Greece since 1974.

Paper Submitted and Presented to the International Conference: "The Politics of Extreme Austerity: Greece Beyond the Crisis", GREEK POLITICS SPECIALIST GROUP, Strathclyde University, Glasgow, December 8-9, 2011