Does a public administrator’s resignation or dismissal damage their political career?
It occurs on a regular basis: a public administrator resigns or is dismissed when their integrity is at stake. To what extent does that damage their image? Geerten Boogaard, Professor of Local Government, discusses this in an item published by regional public broadcaster ‘Omroep Gelderland’.
The integrity of public administrators and civil servants is a basic prerequisite for citizens' trust in municipal operations. Rules and codes of conduct are put in place in order to safeguard that integrity.
Professor Boogaard believes that resignation or dismissal does not always have negative implications for a person’s political career. ‘Generally, it doesn't help, but it doesn’t have to be catastrophic. And if it’s through no fault of their own and they take their political responsibility, then it might pay off.’ Usually, they won’t lose all their prospects straight away.
In some cases, it may do political damage and tarnish the person’s reputation. ‘But if it turns out to be a case of poor judgement, they have to show that they’ve learned from it.’ Professor Boogaard says it often doesn't come to that, as the public administrator in question is suddenly ‘offered a job elsewhere’.
More information
Read the full article in Omroep Gelderland (in Dutch)
Photo: Luca Bravo through Unsplash