The Palgrave Handbook of Decentralisation in Europe

This handbook provides an authoritative study of European decentralisation, taking into account, from a territorial perspective, the different political and administrative traditions in Europe (Continental, Anglo-Saxon and Ex-communist States) and the cleavages North-South and East-West. While in recent decades most European countries have implemented devolution policies trying to tackle different political, social or bureaucratic problems, some others have instead regionalised their territory, applied federal or pseudo-federal reforms and strengthened the role of subnational governments. This volume analyses decentralisation in these countries using different variables including history, territorial organisation, civil service and financing, and reveals how this phenomenon leads to complex intergovernmental linkages. The evolution of territorial decentralisation, the political tensions between centre and periphery, the autonomy of the subnational governments and their functions and competences, the tools of co-ordination and co-operation, and the features and role of civil service are the main issues studied here with an interdisciplinary approach.

Jose M. Ruano is Professor at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Spain. He is currently Vice-President of the European association Entretiens Universitaires Reguliers pour l’Administration en Europe (EUROPA), President of its Scientific Committee, and member of the Permanent Study Group on Local Governance and Democracy in the European Group of Public Administration (EGPA).

Marius Profiroiu is Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Public Management and Administration of the Economic Studies Academy (ASE) of Romania and President of the Association of National Institutes of Public Administration in Central and Western Europe (NISPAcee).