The Curious Genealogy of the “Executive State”: A Critical Review of the Latest Administrative Reform in Greece

This article critically discusses the latest reform of the Greek administration system, which took the form of an Act establishing an ‘Executive State’. It intends to make two contributions to the existing literature. First, to the critique of the Executive State. So far, critiques focus on the bureaucratic concentration of powers in the office of the Prime Minister, or the abandonment of positive elements found in previous attempts to reform, yet to a large extent accept the reform as a technical response to the crisis. On the contrary, in this article I attempt a comprehensive critique that pays full attention to the historic origins and contemporary significance of the notion and institutional forms of the Executive State and reveals it as a political, rather than technical, measure which reflects deeper views about the relationship between the state, the economy and society. Additionally, I assess the two main effects of this administrative reform, i.e. the centralisation and depoliticisation of policymaking, as manifestations of an authoritarian shift. The second contribution is to the literature on authoritarian liberalism, which examines the authoritarian tendencies inherent in liberal forms and ideals. Several authors have sought to examine the authoritarian tendencies of institutional reform in the face of crisis, yet this article intends to explore the authoritarian phenomenon as part of a process of market capture and examine its effects specifically on administrative law and structures. Ultimately, I argue that administrative reform in Greece follows a rather sinister genealogy and has to be understood as essential counterpart to the generalised and sustained attack on social and political rights following the dictates of the market.