Governance Innovation and entrepreneurship in Greek local government: Towards the limits of Europeanization?

Abstract

<p>The evaluation of the participation of private sector in Greek local government comprises a rather complex task, as it is directly linked to the special configuration parameters of the national model of local governance. Although such model of local governance has gone through significant reforms over the last 20 years, mainly in the promotion of democratization, decentralization of responsibilities and municipalities uniting, however, it remains largely monopolistic and distinctive for its limited efficiency. The monopolistic provision of municipal services still features in the Greek local government, despite its distinctive significant efficiency issues, and also the vast number of regulatory initiatives for the promotion of the alternative provision that have been introduced. Such promotion initiatives of the alternative provision of municipal services have already been promoted since the mid-80s, through actions such as scheduled contracts, inter-municipal co-operation, concessions and PPPs<a title="" href="file:///C:/Users/Mohamad%20Mostafa/Desktop/Knowledge%20E/In%20Press%20Conferences/EBEEC-2016/Source%20files/Source%20files/KNOWLEDGE%20E_1/EBEEC_2016_paper_95.doc#_ftn1">[1]</a>. However, these have eventually produced limited results, due to the regulatory complexity that characterized their operation, increased bureaucracy in respect of their supervision, limited administrative capacity of local partners and the inability of their integration to the wider development planning of local government.</p>