Executive Reform in Serbia. A Comparative Perspective Martin Brusis Center for Applied Policy Research University of Munich

Challenges to executive governance Building political government rather than office-seeking or technocracy Overcoming authoritarian legacies of politicization, segmentation and clientelism Preparing for EU membership Establishing an accountable, effective and reliable public administration

Determinants of executive reform Parties and parliament: multipolar vs. bipolar Formative configurations of government, state administration and society Institutional culture: patrimonial - bureaucratic EU expectations and requirements: incentives for domestic policy entrepreneurs

Milestones of executive reform in Serbia 2001 New decree on the government office and new standing order of the government May 2002 Ministry of State Administration and Local Self-Government established October 2002 „Elements of a strategy of administrative reform“ Functional reviews of line ministries October 2004 Public administration reform strategy 22 June 2005: Law on government 25 August 2005: Decrees on (deputy) PM‘s advisory cabinets 16 September 2005: Laws on state administration and civil servants A new constitution towards the end of 2005?

Locating the executive in the political system Premier-presidential system: alternating cohabitation Parliamentary accountability: minority rule State Union and subnational government Constitutional court

Executive terrain „Ministries are independent in exercising their competences“ (Art. 94 Constitution) Parliamentary prerogative of defining task areas and internal organization of ministries five levels of hierarchy; „a preoccupation with control and a philosophy of command“ Deputy prime ministers parties in government ministries/ ministers Cabinet Djindjic61817/23 Cabinet Kostunica1517/19

Prime minister – cabinet - ministers general secretariat as a government registrar personal advisory cabinets of PM and deputy PM attached to general secretariat cabinet and committee meetings to formally approve decisions rather than to discuss them informal coordination prevails PM may now establish councils to comment on proposals by other cabinet members

Comparing government offices BGCRHPLS Who adopts statute?Cabinet (o)Head of GO (-)Cabinet (o)PM (o)cabinet (o) Who appoints head of GO? PM (+)Cabinet (o)(PM) (+)PM (+)Cabinet (o) Framework set by executive oo+oo Head of GO is minister (o)00-02 (o)98- (+)90-96; (o) - Inhouse strategic policy expertise oo++o Nodality for policy coordination oo++o Hands-on coordination of line ministries oo+oo Policy relevance of government office 163

The prime minister...BGCRHPLS May instruct ministers o-o++ May issue decrees unilaterally Is protected by a constructive vote of no confidence Does not share authority with deputy pms Appoints deputy ministers/ state secretaries +-(+)+- Appoints leading civil servants o-(+)+- Appoints regional prefects Determines agenda of cabinet meeting Decides in cabinet votings --(+) - May change task areas unilaterally Average cabinet duration (mths) 19 (o)25 (+) 14 (-)13 (-) Cumulated powers of the PM Comparing prime ministerial powers

Politics and administration Political appointees: state secretary; personal advisors to ministers „Should-be“ civil servants: assistant ministers; secretary of the ministry 31 March 2004appointeesemployees Ministries General secretariat10103 Other administration Total

Bulgaria 1997 Czech Republic 1990 Hungary 1990 Serbia 2000 State-society configurations stalemate socioecono mic protest mobilized civil society intrastate elite struggles stalemate Mass protest movement Party systemmultipolar bipolarmultipolar Executive reform priority rule of lawparliamentary accountability governabilityrule of law, decentralization Model of government oligarchic government cabinet/ ministerial prime ministerial ministerial/ oligarchic government Determinants of executive reform and emerging models of government

Conclusion From ministerial to cabinet government? collective parliamentary accountability cabinet discretion over ministerial organization regular horizontal coordination among top- level civil servants to filter cabinet agenda