This symposium presents an overview of the state and administrative reforms in Southern Europe. The papers are written by scholars who are not only celebrated in their field, but also native to the country they write about. The report on Greece is by Dimitri A. Sotiropoulos and Calliope Spanou of Athens University. Edoardo Ongaro of Bocconi University Milan reports on Italy. In the case of Portugal, the reporter is José Magone, himself Portuguese and now working at the Berlin School of Economics. Reform in Spain is covered by Carlos Alba and Carmen Navarro of the Autonomous University Madrid. © 2011 The Author. Public Administration