Since the 1980s, a wave of reforms of public management has swept the world. The investigation into the effects of such major transformations has, however, been unbalanced: important countries have received only limited attention. This timely book fills the gap by investigating the dynamics of contemporary public management reform in five European countries that gave shape to the Napoleonic administrative tradition - France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain. Edoardo Ongaro presents an in-depth investigation of the reform of public management in these countries, revisiting major topics of theoretical interest in the study of public administration. He addresses key issues regarding the influence of the past on the transformation of the public sector, and the direction of reforms. The work looks both backward, to the legacy of the Napoleonic administrative tradition and the way it affected the paths of reform, and forward, exploring whether and to what extent the fascinating idea of the Neo-Weberian State is an alternative to global paradigms such as New Public Management and New Public Governance.

This unique book will prove a fascinating read for scholars in the fields of public administration, public management, government and political science. Policy-makers - and their advisors - engaged in reform of the public sector will also find this book to be of great interest.