The Portuguese Administrative Reform between the New State and Democracy: Continuity and Disruption (1967-1978)

Abstract

This article aims to reflect on the main lines that characterized the reform processes of the Portuguese Public Administration between 1967 (the date of creation of the first body responsible for it) and 1978 (the date of creation of the first Ministry of Administrative Reform). To this end, we will analyze parliamentary debates, legislation, archival documentation, government programs, and some of the most relevant documents from the early days of Democracy. We argue that the administrative reform process presented continuities between the two regimes, in institutional and methodological terms, and with regard to its objectives. We defend that its assumptions witnessed, before and after the revolution, a continuous process of adaptation to different conjunctures and challenges. Finally, we state that the democratic period allowed for a greater institutional framework for administrative reform, as the country pre pared for the challenges of the time, such as European integration.