ADMINISTRATIVE RESTRUCTURING AND FISCAL ADJUSTMENT IN GREECE: EVALUATING PUBLIC SECTOR REFORMS (2010–2018)

Abstract

This article examines the impact of the economic adjustment programmes implemented in Greece during the period 2010–2018 on the organisational structure of public administration. Focusing primarily on the central administration, it analyses the processes of administrative restructuring and the abolition and merger of public sector bodies, assessing their quantitative and qualitative outcomes. The study argues that, although the reform agenda largely addressed long-standing structural weaknesses of the Greek administrative system, the conditions of the crisis significantly altered the intensity, pace and mode of policy implementation. Under the pressure of fiscal conditionality, administrative reforms were implemented more rapidly and on a larger scale, often prioritising budgetary objectives over functional and organisational coherence. Drawing on official documents, reform programmes, legislation and reports by international organisations, the article identifies two distinct cycles of administrative reorganisation during the crisis period and evaluates their divergent results. The findings suggest that, while the first cycle led to a substantial reduction of administrative structures, the second placed greater emphasis on qualitative and functional criteria, resulting in a renewed expansion of organisational units. Overall, the article highlights the limits of crisis-driven administrative reform and raises questions regarding the sustainability and long-term effectiveness of structural adjustments in public administration.