After the transition to democracy and the economic modernization of Greece and other countries in Southern Europe, such as Spain, Portugal, and economically stronger Italy, they were not accompanied by a corresponding administrative modernization. Several administrative reforms were abandoned, while few can be considered successful. The main question is what distinguished the failures from the successes. Under what conditions did "windows" of reform opportunities open? Why did some of the legislated reforms of the state mechanism fail, despite the approval of relevant laws, while others were successfully implemented?

A comparative study of the state mechanisms in Southern Europe could show that "windows of opportunity" remain closed if multiple conditions are not met, coming from both external pressures and domestic demand for state reform. In the last quarter of the twentieth century, in Greece, Spain, Italy, and Portugal, external pressures were combined in various ways with internal demand for better public services. Driven by European developments and domestic pressures from civil society, state reform remains always relevant, as we all deserve to enjoy faster and more transparent services from the state.