Reinventing public managers in the digital age: competencies and innovative governance models across the European Union
Reinventing public managers in the digital age: competencies and innovative governance models across the European Union

Summary/Abstract: The digital revolution is reshaping public administration across the European Union, demanding new forms of leadership and innovation. The Public Manager 5.0represents this new generation of leaders — professionals who blend technology, ethics, and empathy to create smarter and more inclusive governance. Through initiatives such as e Estonia, Aurora AI in Finland, or MindLab in Denmark, EU states are proving that digital transformation is not only about efficiency but about building trust, transparency, and public value in the digital age. This research aims to explore and compare the evolution of digital maturity of public administration and the public manager in the digital age in a few selected member states of the European Union (EU). The other objectives were to design the competency profile of the public manager 5.0, to present the main changes recommended to the EU countries for increasing the digital transformation of their public administrations and innovative governance, and to set up the steps needed for the Romanian public administration to move on in the digital context. The methodology is based on a comparative documentary analysis of digital transformation practices in selected EU countries, as well as the EU's strategies in the field of digital governance. The empirical study was conducted based on the international databases: OECD Digital Government Index (DGI), United Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI) 2024 and Eurostat. The results indicate significant differences between countries in terms of digital maturity, managerial culture, and public competencies adopted by public managers. The conclusion emphasizes the need for an integrated reform of managerial competencies in European public administration, focusing on digital, ethical, innovative, and sustainable public management.

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