Politics Is Spain a federation?

[Michael Folkesson]

The multi-level governance of Spain's devolution with it's unique constitution of autonomies, seem to make Spain a de facto federation. It's called a unitary state and the Spanish constitution seems to state that, as well as it has the power to revoke the autonomous privilieges of the provinces in theory. In practice it doesn't seem like it would be possible to touch the decentralized self-rule of the provinces. Some seem to see Spain as a unitary state, some as a federation and others as a semi-federative state. Few - if any - states are cut and dry one or the other in every aspect, and there are no states and constitutions exactly alike. It seems as if these denominations are rarely discussed. The EU seems similarily to be a de facto confederation. The UK is not far from being a federation itself. If the English get their own parliament - with the West Lothian question in mind - the UK could be considered a federation.

Is Spain to be concidered a federation?

 

[Michael Folkesson]

No takers? Could be a yes or no question. Or just say it's silly.

 

[edao]

"Spain is suggested as one possible de facto federation as it grants more self-government to its autonomous communities than most federations allow their constituent parts. For the Spanish parliament to revoke the autonomy of regions such as Galicia, Catalonia or the Basque Country would be a political near-impossibility, though nothing bars it legally. Additionally, some regions such as Navarra or the Basque Country have full control over taxation and spending, transferring a small payment to the central government for the common services (army, foreign relations, macroeconomic policy). For example, one scholar discusses the "federal nature of Spain's government (a trend that almost no one denies)." Each autonomous community is governed by a Statute of Autonomy (Estatuto de Autonomía) under the Spanish Constitution of 1978." source

"In Spain, the process of devolution after the transition to democracy1979) created 17 Autonomous Communities each one having its own Statute of Autonomy. In June 18, 2006, Catalonia approved in referendumCatalan Statute of Autonomy, enhancing the degree of autonomy of this Spanish region. source

I have read that offically Spain is regarded as a Unitary State, but reading how it operates in real terms suggests it might be much closer to a federation. I have a friend who is from Galicia and tells me how culturally many 'Spaniards' do not associate with the Spanish identity, and rather resent the lack on recognition of their own region as their actual nationality.

Perhaps it is this devolution of government power that has caused some of the economic problems Spain is now facing?

Living in Scotland I often wonder what Scottish Nationalist hope to achieve by gaining independance from the British Government as they would simply be trading Westminster for Brussels, the age of independant national soveriegnty is coming to an end one way or another.

 

[Segia]

The autonomic model has been a disaster in economic terms and has increased the power of the different administrations over civil society. Spain is today more fascist -with a special emphasis on some autonomies...- than in the latest years of Franco.

In Catalonia -where the separatists have "occuped" the whole public sector- if you are a bussines owner you are forced to label your places in catalan (in the rest of Spain you choose the language/s you estimate better) and so on....

Spain is not a federation nor a central state, it's a place where the dumbest politicians of the world -sic- can play social engeeinering at his worst. The day of tomorrow they will tell us how to **** legally.

 

[Wilhelm]

In Catalonia -where the separatists have "occuped" the whole public sector- if you are a bussines owner you are forced to label your places in catalan (in the rest of Spain you choose the language/s you estimate better) and so on....

No, the law says they have to label at least in Catalan, because it is cooficial, but the truth is that this law is not applied, since we have for example Arabic only labels, chinese, etc

 

[Dean]

In my opinion, what you call "spanish" is only a simplified, and often stereotyped view of a complex and multi-cultural group of peoples. Of course, we are not isolated cultures because we are all here in our land thousand years ago and we share many cultural aspects. But there are still today differences between castilians and galicians, asturians and catalans, valencians and andalusians, etc.. Peoples move and migrate along history. Many castilians are of asturian or galician descent, many andalusians are of castilian or basque descent, etc. We forget sometimes that our roots lie, for sure, out of our birth place.

That is the reason why some spaniards get angry when "typical spanish" view is proyected out our frontiers (and often inside our own country), because behind this simplified "spanish culture" t are many ancient cultures and peoples.

And this is the reason why we have this "federation". I think that today still survive a very "typical spanish" characteristic (iberian, in fact), noticed by romans along two hundred years of conquest and fiery wars, and shared by all : strong sense of independence and love of freedom.

My english is not that good, i think, but i hope you can understand what i mean :embarassed:

 

[^ lynx ^]

Spanish Constitution. Art. 145.1:

"En ning?n caso se admitir? la federaci?n de Comunidades Aut?nomas."

"Federations within the Autonomous Communities will not be allowed in any case."

Now we can back to ignoring the moctezuma troll and his clones again.

Best regards.