94

Administrative elites in Spain constitute a genuine political force which has survived regime changes. Senior civil servants use both their wide range of skills and their family networks to control administrative and political life. This is why the democratic transition after 1975 left the structure of the administrative elite structures intact. The administrative elite has provided the main recruiting ground for political staff during the various governments of the democratic era. In addition, high-level positions are heavily politicised, a situation which has persisted under both socialist and right-wing governments. There is a similar politicisation of the civil service of the autonomous communities. There has never been any separation between administrative and political elites in Spain, and this has jeopardised attempts to reform public management.