Spain’s Administrative Divisions: Municipalities & Regions
Spain’s Territorial Organization
Constitutional Framework
According to the Spanish Constitution, the national territory is organized into municipalities, provinces, and Autonomous Communities. Municipalities and provinces are long-standing administrative units.
Municipal Administration
Municipalities represent the most basic administrative and territorial units of the State. A municipality is governed by its local administration (City Council), positioned to address local issues effectively and promptly. Municipal administration is exercised within the territory where a City Council holds jurisdiction. The capital of the municipality is the town housing the City Council headquarters. Municipalities obtain necessary funding through local taxes and resources collected via the State and their respective Autonomous Community.
Provincial Administration
Provinces are territories formed by grouping several municipalities. This administration serves as both a territorial division and a local entity. Its functions include:
- Serving as an electoral constituency for the state.
- Acting as a territorial division for the central government’s peripheral administration, represented by the Sub-Delegate of the Government.
- Functioning as a local entity focused on cooperating with and supporting municipalities within the province.
Members of the Provincial Council are chosen from the elected mayors and councillors of the municipalities. The President of the Provincial Council is elected by these members.
The State of Autonomies
Models of Territorial Organization
There are two main models for the territorial organization of state power:
- The centralized model: A single center holds the authority to decide state policy across all fields.
- The decentralized model: Supports the existence of multiple centers for political decision-making.
The centralized model largely prevailed in Spain until the Constitution of 1978. From that year onwards, Spain established the ‘State of Autonomies’, a politically decentralized state composed of different Autonomous Communities. The Constitution recognizes regions with diverse languages, cultures, and traditions.
Spain’s Autonomous Communities
The Constitution establishes Spain as a unitary, but not centralized, state. It reserves exclusive competence for the State to decide policy in specific areas, setting objectives and providing means. This applies to international relations, the monetary system, defense, and the armed forces.
Division of Powers
The Constitution also allows Autonomous Communities, through their Statutes of Autonomy, to assume responsibilities in areas such as agriculture and urban planning. The Constitutional Court is responsible for resolving potential conflicts between the State and Autonomous Communities regarding the division of powers.
Structure of Autonomous Governments
Spain has 17 Autonomous Communities and 2 Autonomous Cities (Ceuta and Melilla) with a special status. Each Autonomous Community has its own institutions of self-government:
- A Parliament: Elected by citizens of the Community every four years, responsible for enacting regional laws and overseeing the President and Government.
- A President: Elected by the members of the Parliament.
- A Government (Council): Responsible for setting regional policies.
- An Administration: A group of bodies executing the policies implemented by the Government.