ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the shaping of national administrative systems with a focus on their ability to meet internal and external requirements in the field of regional policy. It concerns the impact of the several oppositional trends upon the efficiency of public administration of the Central East European countries in the field of regional policy. The chapter presents some aspects of the relationship between public administration and regional development. For regional development purposes, so-called quasi-governmental or non-governmental, corporative organizations were established. The new types of institutions in some cases were motivated by political intentions as well, strengthening the central power against locally elected authorities. The institutional system of regional development in Hungary does not rely on the territorial public administration or on the local government system. On this administrative basis, it was simply impossible to integrate regional policy into the fragmented administrative structure lacking a strong territorial/meso-level of public power. The chapter provides a presentation of various national case studies.
