Environnement politique et réforme administrative en Europe

In: Revue française d'administration publique, Volume 5, Issue 1, p. 9-25

Abstract

Political environment and administrative reform in Europe

The author discusses exclusively induced and controlled changes in central administration with main emphasis on the role of political environment in the process of administrative reform. Problems arise from interaction between reform and — mainly political — environment.
The concept of political environment has to be defined more specifically by listing through objective and comparative assessment its main ingredients, whose respective weightage is tentatively measured in the light of circumstances or politico-administrative Systems.
A first attempt tries to assess the constituent elements of political environment, i.e. constitutional regime, politico-administrative machinery with relevant implications on the governmental or ministerial plane, political assemblies, political parties and pressure groups, etc., and finally the press and public opinion.
This leads to a second stage, where the main questions can be sorted out and first answers provided.
To what extent is administrative reform caused by political environment ? What main factors account for changes in the administrative machinery ? Do structures and administrative procedures adjust in line with changes in legal and societal requirements, or is it rather the administrative machinery that spearheads political and social change ? Finally, how does the civil service's normal adjustment to changing times — disregarding any reform movement — affect administrative reform and political environment ?