Contenu du sommaire : L'État en question(s)

State in a Changing World : the Report of the World Bank. The report of the World Bank on the role of State reveals a limited, but interesting shift in approach to this problem. Consequently, the question of state intervention and public expenditure ought in future to be approached in a less doctrinal and more pragmatic manner. However, structural adjustment remains on the agenda now more than ever before. This betrays a subordination of the public sphere to international economic requirements.

The Japanese Experience and State Reforms in Asia. Might the economic crisis which is affecting Eastern Asia be the catalyst for a radical and rapid transformation of the State and method of governance in this region of the world ? In the cases of South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia reforms are necessary as a result of the urgency of the situation and are subject to constraints imposed by the IMF. Other countries had started upon a reform strategy well before 1997. This is the case of Japan, whose situation is exemplary for several reasons. From a historical perspective, this country paved the way for reforms. The Japanese action programme offers a wide panorama of structural and functional reforms. The effect of the economic crisis seems to be fully playing its role in accelerating the process in hand. However, will the Japanese experience retain its relevance as a reference for institutional changes in Asia, just as it did in the past in relation to methods of economic development ? Without being able to respond to this question with any certainty, given that certain Asian programmes are hardly yet off the ground, it is worth noting a degree of convergence in all these reform projects.

State Reform and the Civil Service in Argentina : Real or Formal Changes ? Since his election, President Menem has initiated two State reforms (in 1989 and 1996). Beyond calling into question the idea of the state-provider, these reforms are being required to take effect against a back-drop of real revolution in Argentine political culture. The reduction in public expenditure has been realised by rolling-back the state in favour of local authorities and the private sector. The process of decentralisation, which has been pursued since the 1960s, has been accompanied by a significant programme of privatisation. A reorganisation of the public sector has resulted from this. Technical reforms concerning the civil service have, however, led merely to a form of patronage which is more subtle than before. Corruption remains one of the principal preoccupations of Argentine society.

Corruption : a Question of Morality or a Problem of State Organisation ? As an ethical problem, the practice of corruption nevertheless results, independently of the attitude of individuals, from mechanisms or institutions which allow it to continue, or at least do not rule it out. It is, thus, encouraged in situations where there is a conflict of interest required to be settled by a single individual, where there is too great an integration of pressure groups into the administration, where there is an ill-conceived devolution of power, and in cases of extreme politicisation of the highest strata of executive authority (at either national or local level). Every instance of corruption provides an illustration of the absence of the citizen and of the recipient of public services in an impoverished public debate.

Speeding up the Pace of Administrative Action. During the 1980s, France, following a trend set by other Western countries, developed amongst its policies of modernisation a programme for speeding up administrative action. This policy of acceleration, which calls into question a model of administration which is bureaucratic in nature, is being pursued via numerous reforms, ranging from a reduction in the time taken by the administration to respond to requests, to consideration of the means for bringing about changes in the structure of the administration. However, the bureaucratic model is resistant, even to the point of deviating from the objectives of the reforms. Furthermore, other aspects of the policies of modernising the administration require actions which may themselves contribute to a slowing down in the process of change. The protection of the rights of citizens, citizen participation in the running of the administration, the quest for improvement in efficiency ail appear to be imperatives of a higher order which eclipse the requirement for a quickening pace of administrative action.

Reform of Litigation Procedures Before the Administrative Courts. Administrative courts have given rise to numerous criticisms. Slow and inefficient, they are disinterested in the consequences of their decisions and, with regard to their caseload, still refuse to exercise the powers normally attributed to a judge. In the light of these criticisms a number of reforms have been undertaken. Some concern the organisation of the court structure which has evolved considerably since the law of 31 December 1987. Others, notably those introduced by the law of 8 February 1995, have conferred new powers upon the judiciary in order to guarantee more effectively that administration respect its decisions. Finally, over the past few years case law has also developed a good deal in securing greater protection of the rights of citizens.

The Creation of New Regions in Morocco : a Space for Economic and Political Development. Regional organisation carried out in 1971 made the region a space for economic development. A new stage introduced by the law of 2 April 1997 must bring a fresh dimension to this, by making the region a space for political development as well. This involves a redistribution of power in order to reverse the tradition of centralisation. In future the region will be a decentralised area with its own legal, administrative and financial status thereby guaranteeing its autonomy. For this purpose significant means have been allocated to the region. Relations between regions and state are developing at two levels : that of classic means of administrative control, and that of state adaptation to this new space. With regard to this latter point, it is important that all State services think of the regional platform as providing an essential level upon which state might pursue its activities.

Cultural Policies in France : Imaginable Reforms. Despite alternating political powers and the diversity of ministerial styles, there is a unity and a continuity of cultural policy under the Fifth Republic. But these days this cultural policy has its limits and the time has arrived to give it a new momentum. Thus, the creation of an inter-ministerial committee would allow the attention of all departments to be drawn to their cultural responsibilities. But especially it is via the reinforcement of links between national education and the world of culture that access by the greatest number to cultural practices may be developed.

State Returns to Local Financing Market. State has not given up intervening in the market of local financing, which is nonetheless deregulated, in order to prevent local authorities from getting excessively into debt. Via its particular relations with certain credit establishments state implicitly influences market mechanisms. A real liberalisation of this sector is brought about through the possibility for local authorities to manage their own funds.