More and more frequently, public administrations of European countries participate in the processes of various reforms of governance, which are recently named as a new modes of governance. In the first part of this article new modes of governance are described in member countries, as well as in European Union. In European field Open Method of Coordination and decentralization processes are portrayed. In second part of the article Polish administrative reforms are assessed. The attention is focused on post-socialist administrative tradition which influence introducing modes of governance. Furthermore, four basic processes of transformation of public administration in post-communist state are presented, including European integration arrangements. The problem of adequacy of European integration for better solving social and economic problems is raised. Finally, new modes of governance in enlarged European Union are summed up, with specific hypothesis related to new Member Countries and issues for further research