Variations on the Same Theme? The Structure  of Territorial State Administration in Selected  Transition Countries of the European Union

Attila Barta; Zoltán Hegyesi

Attila Barta https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9945-4720
Zoltán Hegyesi Lajos Lőrincz Institute of Administrative Law, Faculty of Science of Public Governance and Administration, National University of Public Service. Budapest, Hungary https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9317-8240

Keywords: territorial state administration, deconcetrated state administrative bodies

Abstract

This overview shows that public administration remains a core aspect of state so
vereignty, with countries themselves determining the basic characteristics of their
executive apparatus, including territorial state administration. However, there is
still no single recipe or uniform variation on the same theme, the emphasis being
rather on the need for the state to operate an administrative structure adequate
to the tasks it has undertaken. This is clearly reflected in the territorial systems
of the states presented as examples. The EU countries undergoing democratic
transformation display both similarities and differences in their structures and
administrations, though we consider the latter to be the most significant. In our
view, the future evolution of territorial state administration will clearly result
from a reassessment of the role of the state. The key question is what the new state
and its administration should look like in the post-NPM era. In our scientific
assessment, deconcentrated state administration bodies will continue to play a
crucial role in addressing the challenges posed by the changing environment,
where they exist.