This book provides an in-depth analysis of the 'technocratic shift' in ministerial recruitment
measuring its extent and variations over time in fourteen European countries. It addresses the
question: who governs in European democratic regimes? Just a few decades ago the answer would
have been straightforward: party-men and (fewer) party-women. More recently however and in
varying degrees across Europe a greater proportion of non-politicians or experts have been
recruited to government as exemplified by the 2017 election of Emmanuel Macron to the French
Presidency. These experts frequently labelled technocrats increasingly occupy key executive
positions and have emerged as powerful actors in the decision-making process. This edited
collection explores the contemporary debates surrounding the relationship between technocracy
democracy and political leadership and will appeal to scholars and advanced students
interested in these fields.
