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This handbook provides an authoritative study of European decentralisation, taking into account, from a territorial perspective, the different political and administrative traditions in Europe (Continental, Anglo-Saxon and Ex-communist States) and the cleavages North-South and East-West. While in recent decades most European countries have implemented devolution policies trying to tackle different political, social or bureaucratic problems, some others have instead regionalised their territory, applied federal or pseudo-federal reforms and strengthened the role of subnational governments. This volume analyses decentralisation in these countries using different variables including history, territorial organisation, civil service and financing, and reveals how this phenomenon leads to complex intergovernmental linkages. The evolution of territorial decentralisation, the political tensions between centre and periphery, the autonomy of the subnational governments and their functions and competences, the tools of co-ordination and co-operation, and the features and role of civil service are the main issues studied here with an interdisciplinary approach.

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Introduction; Robert Savy, Hélène Pauliat, Michel Sénimon.- Birds of the Same Feather: Federalism and Decentralisation in Germany; Dominic Heinz.- Federalism and Decentralisation in Belgium; Jean-Fran‡ois Husson, Céline Mahieu, Caroline Sägesser.- Functional Federalism in a Complex State. The Case of Spain; José M. Ruano.- Constitutional Reform and Territorial Organisation in Italy; Giuseppe Bettoni.- Fragmentation and Central Control : Competing Forces in a Disunited Kingdom; June Burnham.- Decentralisation in France: a Principle in Permanent Evolution; Agnès Sauviat.- The Irish Case: Decentralisation-lite?; Dr. Bríd Quinn.- Decentralisation in the Netherlands. < Decision- making Close to the People or Efficient Organisation of the State?; Laurens Jonathan Zwaan.- Extensive Decentralization - But in the Shadow of Hierarchy; Kristin Reichborn-Kjennerud, Signy Irene Vabo.- Combining Centralization and Decentralization in Danish Public Administration; Sevasti Chatzopoulou, Birgitte Poulsen.- From Centralism to Decentralisation and Back to Recentralisation due to the Economic Crisis: Findings and Lessons Learnt from the Greek Experience; Stella Kyvelou, Nektaria Marava.- Rebirth of Local Government in Poland. 25 years of Decentralisation Reform; Marcin Sakowicz.- The Decentralisation Process in Romania; Constantin Marius Profiroiu, Alina Georgiana Profiroiu, Septimiu Rares Szabo.- Decentralization and Local Governance in Lithuania; Eglé Stonkuté, Eglé Gaule<.- The Swinging Pendulum of Decentralisation in Hungary; István Temesi.- Decentralization as an Essential Element of Public Administration Reform in Slovakia .- Jana Marasova, Maria Horehajova.- Conclusions : Intergovernmental Networks and Decentralisation in Europe; José M. Ruano, Marius Profiroiu.

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José M. Ruano is Professor at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Spain. He is currently Vice-President of the European association Entretiens Universitaires Réguliers pour l´Administration en Europe (EUROPA), President of its Scientific Committee, and member of the Permanent Study Group on Local Governance and Democracy in the European Group of Public Administration (EGPA).

Marius Profiroiu is Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Public Management and Administration of the Economic Studies Academy (ASE) of Romania and President of the Association of National Institutes of Public Administration in Central and Western Europe (NISPAcee).

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