Revisiting Public Administration education in Central and Eastern Europe : From establishing the discipline to facing marginalization

Abstract

Objectives: This article revisits the development of public administration (PA) education in the post-communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), tracing its evolution from disciplinary establishment after 1989 to its current challenges of marginalization and declining attractiveness. Methodology: Drawing on a historical institutionalist perspective, the study examines how pre-communist administrative traditions, communist legacies, and post-communist reforms have jointly shaped the content, institutional positioning, and identity of PA education. The analysis covers PA programs in eleven Central European post-communist countries that became members of the European Union (EU) in three waves, notably the historic 2004 enlargement when 8 CEE countries join (Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia), followed by Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, and Croatia in 2013. The paper combines desk research, curriculum analyses from existing comparative datasets, and an original overview of programs accredited by the European Association for Public Administration Accreditation (EAPAA). Results: The findings demonstrate persistent diversity and fragmentation in PA education, with strong legalistic orientations remaining dominant despite gradual moves toward managerial and governance-based approaches. The paper further highlights growing tensions between internationalization and local relevance, as well as between academic incentives and practical administrative needs. Conclusions: The article concludes that no unified PA identity has emerged in the region; instead, PA education in CEE reflects multiple, path-dependent trajectories shaped by historical legacies, external pressures, and contemporary political developments. Moreover, in recent years demographic decline, reduced prestige of the civil service, and democratic backsliding have exacerbated declining student demand that all together threaten PA programs sustainability.