Spanish Political System and Catalonia’s Autonomy
The Spanish Political System
The Spanish Constitution, established in 1978, regulates the most important aspects of the current political system. It is the highest rule that all citizens and leaders must obey. The Constitution defines Spain’s form of government as a parliamentary monarchy, its form of state as a democratic social state of law, and its territorial structure as an Autonomous State.
Parliamentary Monarchy
The King is the head of state, but the government is elected by Parliament. The government is responsible for managing state policy and can dissolve Parliament.
The Crown
The individual who holds the title of King represents the state. The King acts as an arbiter and moderator of the institutions. The King cannot make laws, exercise political leadership, or judge the state. Their function is to advise, encourage, and warn those who perform these functions: Parliament, the Executive Government, and the courts. The position of King is lifelong and hereditary; the King cannot resign.
Separation of Powers
One of the organizing principles of parliamentary democracies is the division of powers.
- In Spain, the legislative role corresponds to Parliament.
- The executive role corresponds to the Government.
- The judicial function corresponds to judges and courts.
Parliament
In Spain, the Parliament is called the Cortes Generales. It comprises two chambers: the Congress of Deputies and the Senate. The Cortes Generales exercises two fundamental functions:
- Legislative: Elaboration and adoption of laws.
- Control of the Government: The Government and its President are elected by Parliament and are subject to its supervision.
The Government
The President leads the Spanish Government, which consists of Ministers. The Government sets objectives and decides on strategies and means to achieve these goals. Once these strategies and means are defined, the Government executes them through ministries and other government bodies.
Judges
The application of the law is carried out by judges and courts that are independent of other branches of government.
Political Participation
In Spain, citizens elect members of Congress and the Senate, members of regional parliaments, and councilors of their respective councils every four years. Political parties are channels through which citizens generally participate in political life.
Models of Territorial Organization
Over the years, there have been two models of territorial organization of state power:
- Centralized: Based on the existence of a single center with the ability to decide state policy in all spheres of activity.
- Decentralized: Supports the existence of several centers of political decision.
The centralist model prevailed in Spain from the beginning of the 18th century until the 1978 Constitution. Since 1978, the Autonomous State model has been established, a politically decentralized state composed of different regions.
Autonomous Communities
The Constitution provides that Autonomous Communities, through their statutes of autonomy, can assume responsibilities in areas such as agriculture, livestock, etc. In these areas, Autonomous Communities can set their own policy options and apply them through their administration. The Constitutional Court is in charge of resolving conflicts that may arise between the State and the Autonomous Communities regarding the distribution of powers.
Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia
Statute of 1932 (Nuria Statute)
The aspirations for self-government in Catalonia were first addressed during the Second Spanish Republic. The Constitution of 1931 made possible the drafting of the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia in 1932. During the Franco dictatorship, the statute was suspended.
Statutes of 1979 and 2006
In the 1970s, during the transition to democracy, a model of self-government was restored with the approval of the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia in 1979 (Statute of Sau). In 2003, a reform of the Statute was promoted to suit the needs of Catalonia. On June 18, 2006, the new Estatut was approved in a referendum by the citizens of Catalonia (Statute of Miravet).
Self-Governing Institutions: The Generalitat
The Generalitat comprises:
- The Parliament: Responsible for legislation, approving budgets, and monitoring the Government’s activity.
- The Presidency: The President is the supreme representative of Spain in Catalonia and reports on their activities to Parliament. The President also has executive functions.
- The Executive Council: Has administrative functions.
The Government also comprises other bodies such as the Advisory Board, the Sindicatura de Comptes, and the Sindicatura de Greuges (Ombudsman).
The Effective Power of the Government of Catalonia
The Statute of Autonomy states that the Government has exclusive powers in several areas: organization of self-governing institutions, development of Catalan law, culture, local government, etc. In addition, the Government is responsible for the correct application of international conventions in areas where it has jurisdiction. The majority of the Government’s income comes from transfers provided by the State based on the services and powers transferred.
Territorial Organization of Catalonia
According to the Spanish Constitution and the Statute of Autonomy, Catalonia is divided into four provinces. These are administrative units that organize the Spanish territory and are constituted by the grouping of many municipalities. According to the Statute of Autonomy of 2006, Catalonia has the capacity to organize municipalities in its territory into comarcas.
Municipalities
Municipalities are the basic territorial unit from which the territorial organization of Catalonia is defined. Catalonia consists of 946 municipalities. Municipalities are governed by the local council, which, being closer to citizens, can solve many of their problems quickly. Municipal administration is exercised throughout the territory in which a council has powers. The government of a municipality is the responsibility of the council, composed of the mayor and councilors.
Comarcas
The comarca is a local entity formed by grouping municipalities. It has a legal personality and autonomy to make its own policies. During the Second Republic, a territorial division of Catalonia into 38 comarcas, grouped into nine regions, was proposed. The Civil War and the dictatorship prevented this territorial division. In 1987, the Republican comarca division approved in 1936 was recovered. In 1995, Parliament adopted a General Territorial Plan that divides Catalonia into six regional areas: the metropolitan area of Barcelona, Girona, Camp de Tarragona, Terres de l’Ebre, the area of Ponent, and the central comarcas.