The Value Profile of Civil Servants in New European Democracies through the Lens of Embedded Ethics

Abstract

New European democracies¹ cover a rather huge territory of Europe from Estonia in the north to Albania and Macedonia in the south; from Bulgaria and Romania in the east to the Czech Republic and Poland in the west. Those societies belong to different linguistic, ethnic groups; evident are historical, cultural, and religious differences. But they also have something in common. Being under the greater (Baltic countries) or lesser (former Yugoslavian Republics) influence of the Soviet Union is one of the uniting features. Besides the historical legacy which still can be noticeable in the way civil service functions nowadays, and the mentality of public officials (especially older generations), another common point is de facto or potential membership in the European Union. These two facts help to better understand the development of civil service systems based on Western models in the region.