Municipal Corporatisation in Portugal: From Mania to Depression

Abstract

This chapter chronicles the tale of the Portuguese local corporate public sector and its role in the delivery of public services. After the enthusiastic adoption of the municipal corporatisation model in Portugal at the turn of the century, the financial crisis and the 2011 bailout led to the dissolution of almost 200 municipally owned corporations (MOCs) over the last decade, which corresponds to a reduction of 62.5% from the maximum number in 2011. The chapter describes these trends and provides detailed information about the legal status, organisational characteristics, governance rules and practices, and governing board structure of MOCs in Portugal.