Fixing the state machine
There was a time when Greece boasted an effective public administration. Its backbone consisted of general directors who came from the ranks of ministries and knew every case that landed on their desks in great depth.
But 35 years of cronyism, populism and control over appointments from within political parties gradually ruined the entire system, and the result is that one of Greece’s biggest problems today is its public administration.
In order to fix the problem and return the state machine to what it was in the good days, ministers need to step up and start supporting administrators with strong resumes and impressive professional track records rather than backing candidates pushed through the partisan ranks on no other merit than their loyalty to the party and promoting them to key posts at state organizations and other entities.
