Prethodno priopćenje
ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM IN CROATIA: PROCESSES AND PROSPECTS
Josip Kregar
; Pravni fakultet u Zagrebu
Sažetak
The general problem o f an administrative and political system makes a growth of burden of tasks which the system bears. Although it is usually understood that a growth of administration makes the firmest tendency of change of administrative and political systems, the direction of the growth in Croatia is caused by the other, subjective and political factors. The growth is a consequence of the false reforms of the administrative system and a maintainance of an economic system of redistribution. The idea of a redistributional economy originated after the tradition of the previous system, but has been substantially strengthened by a creation of the war economy, as well as by the uncontrolled processes of privatization and the economic policy which failed to implement the needed structural and technological changes. It resulted in hard economic and social problems, which caused the new and additional tasks for the administration. The stagnation of economic growth together with simultaneous reliance on government in every situation of crisis makes a precarious combination. The problems are not of only transient but of a system nature.
The author is of an opinion that the solution is being blocked by a high concentration of political power. The concentration is a consequence of the authoritarian system, which causes a systemic deadlock at the top and thus makes the obstacle to any change. Behind the apparent unity, political system has been fragmented by an occurrence of a numerous groups, which compete for power and resources but not in an open democratic competition. In that competition, a seizure of every institution which distributes power or property, makes an important point of political struggle, which in turn, in order to avoid such a fragmentation, rises the pressure towards a concentration o f the institutions. The key political decisions are made at once and by the bodies of an entirely unclear authority (Council of Defense and National
Security, Council for Strategic Decisions). The Government as well as the Parliament has been marginallized. Conventions of political parties resemble ceremonial rituals of expressing loyalty to the top political leadership. Specific case of concentration makes centralization. Endeavors to ensure an united control of the political system and overcome the fragmentation of the system into the autarchic communes in the circumstances of preparation for the war and the war itself, has born the choice of another extreme. Excessive decentralization was replaced by an excessive centralization. Local self-government has been deprived of competencies, autonomy and financial resources for independent actions. The reform was an expensive failure. The critical situation exists in the health and educational services, the activities, which are usually, developed by the local self-government but has been centralized.
Creation of institutions o f the administrative and political system makes a slow process, which requires time and stability. We hold such stability endangered by the described negative trends. The reform is a technically complex business and must not be mistaken to the political demagogy of easy achievement of the aims. The author points out that by bare organizational grasps almost nothing is achieved, so that those parts, which by themselves tend to a professional independence for instance the judiciary, environmental protection, and routine administration), should not be much tackled. The important immediate experience is the imperative demand not to tie the reform to an exclusive political platform.
Ključne riječi
administrative reform; political system; administrative growth; local self-government; concentration of power
Hrčak ID:
197675
URI
Datum izdavanja:
8.9.1999.
Posjeta: 829 *