Civil service, civil servants, EU countries, hierarchical cluster analysis, indicators of civil service

The paper deals with civil services, civil servants and their characteristic features in the European dimension. The aim is to define the basic features of civil service and evaluate the systems of civil service in EU countries on the basis of selected indicators. A hierarchical cluster analysis is utilised to assess similarities and differences of indicators of civil service in EU countries. This method allows a more specific look at the similarities and differences between countries, thus identifying groups of countries with similar information. The results lead to a division of the countries into seven clusters divided by internal similarity, including the specificities of the individual indicators of civil service. Germany has a specific position, with the highest expenditures on compensations of employees in general government and with a relatively low number of national administrations. Similarities as well as significant differences have been found between the clusters of EU countries with respect to the observed indicators of civil service. The most marked differences have been seen in the countries in the fourth cluster (Cyprus and Hungary) and the sixth cluster (Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal) in the number of national civil servants in central public administration and proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments. In spite of the differences in the systems of civil services, similar tendencies can be observed, in particular towards increased flexibility, modern recruitment process, efficiency of the services, higher demands for formal qualification, or assessment of civil servants.