The contested politics of de-privatisation and the shifting terrain of the local state: The case of the Ilm-Kreis, Thuringia, Germany

Paul, F. C. (2024) The contested politics of de-privatisation and the shifting terrain of the local state: The case of the Ilm-Kreis, Thuringia, Germany. Local Government Studies, (doi: 10.1080/03003930.2023.2298292) (Early Online Publication)

Abstract

The trend towards de-privatisation has reshaped the role of local governments and their delivery of public services across the world. Local de-privatisation encompasses the twin processes of remunicipalisation, whereby towns, cities, and rural districts take previously privatised services and infrastructure back into public ownership, and municipalisation, a process of setting up new public provision. While global in scope, de-privatisation is particularly pronounced in Germany, prompting debates about the progressive potential of public ownership as an alternative (urban) politics beyond neoliberalism. This paper explores de-privatisation in rural Germany, and critically investigates how the shifting terrain of the local state in the Ilm-Kreis has led to the de-privatisation of two key sectors: waste and bus transportation (and vice versa). The paper illustrates how the two cases unfolded, highlighting the variegated actors and agencies, the complex contexts, and the dynamic and contested politics of de-privatisation in the Ilm-Kreis.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported by the European Research Council under Grant 789100.
• Status: Early Online Publication
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Paul, Dr Franziska
• Authors: Paul, F. C.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > Adam Smith Business School > Management
• Journal Name: Local Government Studies
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• ISSN: 0300-3930
• ISSN (Online): 1743-9388
• Published Online: 06 January 2024
• Copyright Holders: Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s)
• First Published: First published in Local Government Studies 2024
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
301567		GLOBAL REMUNICIPALISATION, THE POST-NEOLIBERAL TURN AND THE RE-DEMOCRATISATION OF THE CITY	Andrew Cumbers	European Research Council (ERC)	789100	BS - Management