The Neverending story of senior civil service depoliticisation in Serbia
The Neverending story of senior civil service depoliticisation in Serbia

Author(s): Miloš Đinđić, Milena Lazarević
Subject(s): Politics, Civil Society, Governance, Public Administration, Public Law, Government/Political systems
Published by: Centar za evropske politike CEP
Keywords: Depoliticisation; Senior civil service; Serbia; Governance; Merit-based appointments; Public administration reform;
Summary/Abstract: Political influence on public administration is as old as administration itself. Given that civil servants are the ones who implement government policies, having control over them means controlling the institutions that execute political power and implement policies. This control also opens opportunities for rewarding loyalists and achieving political interests. When reduced to a minimum, such political manoeuvre is less likely to have a lasting impact on an administration’s functioning, but when it becomes overwhelming, a state apparatus can be completely captured by transient political actors, in the service of interests other than public.

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