ABSTRACT

State Economic Enterprises SEEs have been going through a privatization process, which began in the 1980s, increasing its pace since the 2000s. Against this trend, some argue that Municipal Economic Enterprises MEEs are being used to create employment with populist policy intentions in recent years. These argument rests on the perception that the MEEs have replaced the SEEs in using employment as an instrument for populist policies. The purpose of this study is to compare the populist policies during the years 2003-2015 which mark the timeline that privatization took speed, by means of the employment provided through the municipality in contrast to the employment policies of the previous governments, realized through SEEs. Theoretical approach of the study is based on Gramsci’s theory of hegemony, which includes the key concepts of patronage, clientelism and social state. Research findings within the limitation of data unavailability suggest that, MEEs do not have a significant potential for populist policies by means of employment patronage. On the other hand, since MEEs manage their operations by means of outsourcing, subcontracting and tenders to private sector companies, one can suggest that there is a potential clientelism relation between them and their service providers