Spain’s Autonomous Communities: Formation, Organization, and Financing
The Formation Process of Autonomous Communities in Spain
The Autonomous period started after Franco’s death. Adolfo Suarez granted a pre-autonomy regime in Catalonia, which then spread to 13 regions. The map was 14 pre-autonomies, almost coinciding with the present, with the exception of La Rioja and Cantabria (integrated into Castile and Leon), and Madrid (which had the opportunity to form a single community or incorporate into Castilla La Mancha).
The Autonomic Period
This period began after enacting the 1978 Constitution, which set the unity of the Spanish nation and recognized the right to autonomy of nationalities and regions, comprising solidarity among them. The pre-autonomies could become autonomous communities following these steps:
Conditions
- Must have historical features
- Surrounding provinces
- Cultural or economic insular territories
Process: Two Paths
Article 151
Allowed immediate access to many competencies. Cataluña, the Basque Country, and Galicia took this path, benefiting from the second transitional provision. This allowed regions with autonomous status plebiscites to achieve independence only through agreement by an absolute majority.
Andalucía also took this path. The autonomic initiative required the agreement of all county councils and 50% of the population in at least three-quarters of the representative municipalities.
Article 143
Initially allowed access only to certain tasks and required a period of 5 years to expand competencies. Navarra opted for “Enhancement of Jurisdiction.” The other communities took this path. The autonomic initiative required the agreement of all county councils and 50% of the population in at least three-quarters of the municipalities in a voting process. Some without it hosted the first provision of the Constitution that allowed substituting the Provincial initiative by the agreement by an absolute majority of its organs and pre-autonomic Melilla.
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Given the range of autonomous municipalities and unlike the communities, it lacks legislative capacity.
The Organization of Autonomous States
Each community is governed by its Autonomy Statute approved by the Cortes. Communities can assume jurisdiction in various matters set out in the Constitution. The following institutions are established:
- The legislature draws up legislation on autonomous matters.
- The Council of Government exercises executive power.
- The High Court of Justice is the maximum judicial power representation. A government delegate exists in every community.
Financing of Autonomous Communities
Communities are funded by their own revenue and state-ceded taxes. The Foral Regime affects the Basque Country and Navarra, where each territory is financed by its income. The Compensation Fund addresses territorial imbalances, contributing income to disadvantaged communities. State autonomy stems from equality, implying territorial solidarity. Statutes cannot contain tax or social security privileges.
Territorial Organization and Regional Disparities
The Spanish territory is delimited by its borders.
* Historical Trends in Political and Administrative Organization
Antiquity to the Roman Conquest
The peninsula was inhabited by indigenous peoples with their own institutions and customs. Under Roman rule, provinces were first established. The Visigoths created a separate state with its capital in Toledo, maintaining the Roman division but renaming the territorial unit as a duchy.
The Middle Ages
The Muslim invasion destroyed the Visigoth state and administration. Muslims held territory in provinces, while Christians created independent administrative systems. In the Cantabrian Cordillera, the Kingdom of Asturias was created, resulting in the kingdoms of León, Portugal, and Castile. In the Pyrenees, Navarre, Aragon, and the Catalan counties emerged. Aragon and the Catalan counties joined in the twelfth century, forming the Crown of Aragon, which later included the Kingdom of Valencia and the Balearic Islands.
The Modern Age
The Catholic Monarchs (Reyes Católicos) united the peninsular territories except Portugal. Castile and Aragon were united by the marriage of the monarchs. The Kingdom of Granada was conquered, and the Kingdom of Navarre was annexed. However, each kingdom kept its own political and administrative structures and fiscal systems. The Habsburgs continued this situation in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Monarchical unity based on the diversity of rights was an attempt to standardize administrations with the Bourbons. The reason was the War of Succession. Philip V won and implemented the Nueva Planta decrees, which suppressed the political and administrative organization of the Crown of Aragon. The territory was divided into Captaincies General for government (later to be called provinces) and Intendencias for finance. Only Navarre and the Basque Country retained their institutions due to their loyalty to Philip.
Contemporary Organization
In the nineteenth century, Javier de Burgos carried out a new provincial division in 1833, practically matching the current territory. It organized 49 provinces; in 1927, the Canary Islands were divided, resulting in 50. In the twentieth century, the Second Republic was declared, aiming for an integral Spain compatible with the autonomy of municipalities and regions.
* Current Political and Administrative Divisions
County (Municipio)
The basic territorial entity. Its function is to serve the residents. There is a council composed of a mayor and councilors. Residents elect the councilors and the council elects the mayor.
Province
A local territorial entity formed by a group of municipalities. Its role is to promote provincial interests and services, coordinating municipal services. The provincial government and administration are related to the deputation, comprising a president and deputies. The deputies are elected from local elected officials, and they elect the president.
Autonomous Community
A territorial entity formed by neighboring provinces, territories, and island provinces with a historical regional body capable of self-government on issues of competence. They became autonomous after Franco’s death.