Politicization beyond the merit-system facade. Intricate relationship between formal and informal relationship in the Senior Civil service systems in Central and Eastern Europe.

The paper investigates the stories of the trajectories of Senior Civil service systems in three CEE countries: Estonia, Hungary and Slovakia. We focus on the interrelationship between formal and informal institutions following... [ view full abstract ]

The paper investigates the stories of the trajectories of Senior Civil service systems in three CEE countries: Estonia, Hungary and Slovakia. We focus on the interrelationship between formal and informal institutions following the Helmke – Levitsky framework. It argues that the ineffective formal institutions that comprise both constraints and also opportunities for actors to devise informal arrangements that with repetition and diffusion, the informal arrangements may take an institutional reality on their own. As for the formal institutions, two countries, Hungary and Slovakia, functioned under an allegedly merit-based civil service law, whereas Estonia is described as a position system country. Usually, merit system is considered as a formal safeguard against politicization. Our analysis, however, shows that formal institutions are not able to prevent politicization, it is rather a facade to hide the functioning of informal institutions. Contrary to the common wisdom based on the facile knowledge of formal institutions it is only the Estonian case that could be considered as a success story by establishing a senior civil service assuring high quality devoted personnel in crucial position that remain in place after elections.