Atunci când statul este administrat precum o afacere, al cui este profitul? Reflecții despre buna administrare
When the state is run like a business, whose profit is it? Reflections on good governance

Summary/Abstract: This paper offers a critical analysis of the growing trend to govern the state following the logic of a private enterprise and examines the implications of this approach for the principle of good administration. Starting from the question, „If the state is run like a business, who benefits from the profit?”, the study explores the tensions between managerial efficiency – promoted by New Public Management (NPM) reforms – and the core values of democratic governance, such as legality, fairness, transparency, and citizen participation. It examines the ideological origins of the managerial model, the adoption of entrepreneurial discourse in public administration, and its impact on the redefinition of the citizen as a mere „client”. The paper argues that, in the absence of clear mechanisms for democratic control, accountability, and equitable redistribution, the „profit” generated through administrative efficiency is not automatically redirected toward the public good. On the contrary, it may be captured by bureaucratic elites or private contractors, undermining the standards of good administration. In this context, the study calls for a balanced administrative model that integrates operational efficiency with democratic values, reaffirming that good administration is not an obstacle to performance, but a necessary condition for its legitimacy and sustainability.

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