Past NISPAcee meetings of the civil service working group have struggled with the issue of politicization of the bureaucracy in many of the CEE countries, inside or outside of the EU, and with how to build support for a neutral and professional civil service. But some have criticized the idea of an independent civil service, which may not be responsive to political leadership. This panel attempts to advance this discussion by both theoretical and empirical work that helps us to clarify the line between political control and politicization.