Reforming state budgeting in the vortex of policy conditionality, political instability and technical support flux
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Uploaded by Sandra Cohen
Uploaded date: February 20, 2021
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Publication date
February 20, 2021
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Abstract
Greece had to undertake several reforms under intense policy conditionality pressures -stemming from the three financial support programs agreed between the Greek government and the Troika- and political instability. Within this context, this study aims at analyzing the role of politicians and technical assistance staff in the administrative reform of the Greek state budget.
The study adopts the approach of an extreme country-case study which is analyzed through a theoretical framework with insights from the resource dependency theory and the concept of policy conditionality. The theoretical framework is supported by documents of the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission, including the technical Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and their progress reports, and is informed by the outcome of interviews with General Accounting Office executives.
While the budget reform eventually met the MoU requirements, the frequent changes at the government level, the constant renegotiations with the Troika that initiated changes to the plan, as well as the instability of the technical assistance teams formed to support the reform contributed to important implementation delays.
The study contributes to the research agenda on accounting reforms during periods of financial crises by providing evidence on the role of politicians’ level of ownership and technical assistance staff contribution.
The study adopts the approach of an extreme country-case study which is analyzed through a theoretical framework with insights from the resource dependency theory and the concept of policy conditionality. The theoretical framework is supported by documents of the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission, including the technical Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and their progress reports, and is informed by the outcome of interviews with General Accounting Office executives.
While the budget reform eventually met the MoU requirements, the frequent changes at the government level, the constant renegotiations with the Troika that initiated changes to the plan, as well as the instability of the technical assistance teams formed to support the reform contributed to important implementation delays.
The study contributes to the research agenda on accounting reforms during periods of financial crises by providing evidence on the role of politicians’ level of ownership and technical assistance staff contribution.
Preferred Citation
Cohen, S. and S. Karatzimas, "Reforming state budgeting in the vortex of policy conditionality, political instability and technical support flux", Meditari Accountancy Research, forthcoming.
Keywords
public budget; policy conditionality; politicians; resource dependency; technical assistance; Greece
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Other
Type of Paper
Published paper