Title: No Disruption, No Progress: Reforming Latvia’s Public Administration
Type of publication: Policy review
Authors: Iveta Reinholde, Malvīne Stučka
The aim of this policy review is to analyze Latvia’s public administration from a comparative perspective, looking at practices in the Baltic region and other EU countries. Administrative burden is often cited as a key barrier to Latvia’s development, pushing businesses to favor neighboring countries. The report examines the size of Latvia’s public sector, employee compensation, and the role of governance in enhancing national competitiveness. It also offers clear recommendations to modernize the system – making it simpler, more modern, and more efficient.
The report is structured in three parts and explores four common myths about Latvian public administration. The first section assesses the size of Latvia’s public sector compared to other EU countries, overall government spending, administrative competitiveness, and lessons from countries that have downsized their public sectors. The second section focuses on the concept of bureaucratization and how it is measured. The final section presents concrete recommendations for public administration reform.
Currently this publication is only available in Latvian.