Abstract
Public-private partnership in the form as we know it in Europe is clearly facing a turning point. On the onehand, the budgetary situation of our European governments is such that, in the years to come, additional financing from the private sector will be needed to be able to make investments.
Moreover, there are such grand-scale social challenges that the government will be required to cooperate with citizens, the non-profit sector and the business world. On the other hand, interest in long-term PPP, both internationally, and in Europe, is under pressure.
There is an image that PPP is complex and that PPP is a risky business for the government if the latter is not properly equipped to deal with PPPs. Moreover, there is the financial crisis, which has made (financial and other) actors averse to risk, which, in turn, makes financing PPP all the more difficult.
Finally, there is a lack of actual transparency and evaluation of PPP, which causes public support to be undermined.