NISPAcee The Network of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration in Central and Eastern Europe Politico-Administrative Relations at the Centre – Actors, Structures and Processes supporting the Core Executive Edited by Bernadette Connaughton, Georg Sootla, B. Guy Peters This book was sponsored by a grant from The Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative, Open Society Institute, Budapest, Hungary Copyright © 2008 by NISPAcee Politico-Administrative Relations at the Centre – Actors, Structures and Processes supporting the Core Executive Bernadette Connaughton, Georg Sootla, B. Guy Peters Published by NISPAcee Press Polianky 5 841 01 Bratislava 42 Slovak Republic phone/fax: 421 2 6428 5557 e-mail:
[email protected] http://www.nispa.sk Printed in Slovakia ISBN 978-80-89013-39-5 NISPAcee is an international association focused on the public administra- tion. Its mission is to foster the development of public administration disci- plines and training programmes in post-Communist countries, increase the quality of instruction and research and assist its member institutions’ devel- opment at both international and national levels. Table of Contents Introduction Governing from the Centre: Presidents and Prime Ministers B. Guy Peters .................................................................................................................... 7 Section I Prime Minister’s Offices Variables of Balance Versus Bias of Politico-Administrative Roles at the Core Executive Georg Sootla ..................................................................................................................