ºÚÁ϶Å

Bernadette Connaughton co-chaired the permanent WG in Politico-Administrative Relations with Katarina Staroňová and Marek Rybar at the NISPAcee conference in Bratislava. The country representation covered in papers spanned Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, France, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Moldova, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey. 

The papers also included comparative work and contributions from PhD/early career researchers. Several general themes were included during the WG sessions and in discussions of the research topics presented. In summary, they covered PAR and governance, career patterns and patronage, the professionalization of the executive triangle, advice, and the entrenchment and extent of politicized appointments. 

Bernadette presented a paper titled : ‘ So important a profession would attract into its ranks the ablest and most ambitious..’* Recruitment, selection, appointment and the development of top civil servants from a comparative European perspective. The co-authors are Elisabete Carvalho (PT), Bianca Radu (RO), Tiina Randma-Liiv (EE), Marek Rybar (CZ), Külli Sarapuu (EE), Katarína Staroňová (SK).