Silent State reform? The political process of the law on Public-Private Partnership in Uruguay

Abstract The passage of the Public-Private Partnership Law in Uruguay in 2011 can be seen as an indicator of a paradigm shift with regard to the link between the state and the market, despite the fact that it has not been framed as an important axis of “state reform.” Taking as an example the political process that shaped the law in Uruguay, the lack of political consensus and absence or scarcity of internal debate within the Frente Amplio becomes apparent. Therefore, the oscillations that result from the political-electoral cycle, but above all the difficulty of building an agreement on this law, mean that changes in sectorial and governmental leadership will inevitably instil traits of gradualism and pragmatism that will necessarily affect the impact of changes and hinder the adoption of systemic development strategies.