What can drive a digital governance transformation? Greece, the Covid‐19 crisis and “a jump‐started Lamborghini”

Abstract The COVID‐19 pandemic tested state preparedness across the globe and exposed cross‐sectoral deficiencies in infrastructure, resources and policymaking patterns. However, the prospects of the pandemic facilitating lasting institutional change have received limited attention. This study explores the drivers and resisting forces underpinning Greece's ongoing digital governance transformation during conditions of crises through a Multiple Streams lens. The analysis is informed by original primary data from elite stakeholders across four policy areas and extends from policy adoption to implementation. The study concludes that the simultaneous surfacing of administrative deficiencies, the enhanced value acceptability for innovation and a series of cross‐sectoral spillovers facilitated the introduction of digitization initiatives on an unprecedented scale. However, centralization and cultural resistance from both bureaucracies and the public during implementation pose strains to the completion of the transformative process. The paper's insights contribute to the young but highly topical research agenda on digital governance transformation drivers.