Incomplete Greek Territorial Consolidation: From the First (1998) to the Second (2008-09) Wave of Reforms

Hlepas, NK

dc.contributor.author	Hlepas, NK	en
dc.date.accessioned	2014-03-01T02:00:25Z
dc.date.available	2014-03-01T02:00:25Z
dc.date.issued	2010	en
dc.identifier.issn	0300-3930	en
dc.identifier.uri	https://dspace.lib.ntua.gr/xmlui/handle/123456789/29099
dc.subject	Greece	en
dc.subject	territorial reform	en
dc.subject	amalgamations	en
dc.subject	decentralisation	en
dc.subject	Southern Europe	en
dc.subject	socialist governments	en
dc.subject	Europeanisation	en
dc.subject	democratisation	en
dc.subject.classification	Planning & Development	en
dc.subject.classification	Political Science	en
dc.subject.classification	Public Administration	en
dc.title	Incomplete Greek Territorial Consolidation: From the First (1998) to the Second (2008-09) Wave of Reforms	en
heal.type	journalArticle	en
heal.language	English	en
heal.publicationDate	2010	en
heal.abstract	The modern Greek state has been consolidated through the imposition of centralism and the abandonment of the former autonomist tradition which characterised the kind of fragmented society that was typical of the many countries that experienced Ottoman rule. Like other Southern European states, Greece experienced periods of civil war, authoritarian state practices, and dictatorship, before the establishment of a stabilised Third Republic in 1974. By the beginning of the 1980s, an overwhelming majority believed that public administration would become friendlier to citizens if many responsibilities were delegated to the municipalities. Socialist governments (1981-1989) undertook several decentralisation reforms, but were hesitant to promote obligatory amalgamations. The need for efficiency was the main argument for the Capodistrias Plan of amalgamations (1997) that were intended to restructure the first tier and create new, stronger municipalities. The majority of public opinion and political personnel seemed to approve the option of territorial reforms. By 2007, former opponents of the reform, namely the conservative leaders, initiated a debate on a second wave of amalgamations, thus implicitly acknowledging the success of territorial reform or at least the positive dynamics of a transformation that had to be completed. Dominant reasons which motivated amalgamations during the 1990s were Europeanisation combined with efficiency prerogatives. Territorial consolidation responded, furthermore, to emerging needs for complying with new articulations of entrepreneurial and sectoral interests. Nowadays, re-scaling is obviously combined to managerialist approaches that demand the creation of fewer and bigger structures that are expected to be more efficient and less costly.	en
heal.publisher	ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD	en
heal.journalName	LOCAL GOVERNMENT STUDIES	en
dc.identifier.isi	ISI:000277586900003	en
dc.identifier.volume	36	en
dc.identifier.issue	2	en
dc.identifier.spage	223	en
dc.identifier.epage	249	en