From Competitive Regionalism to Cooperative Federalism: The Europeanization of the Spanish State of the Autonomies

In: Publius: the journal of federalism, Volume 30, Issue 2, p. 17-42

Abstract

Intergovernmental relations in Spain have undergone a significant transformation during the past 22 years. With the transition to democracy, Spain has developed from a unitary-centralist into a quasi-federal polity in which the 17 autonomous communities enjoy significant political autonomy. However, Spain is not only moving toward federal democracy, it is also approaching a cooperative model of federalism in which multilateral intergovernmental cooperation & joint decision-making supersede the bilateral negotiations & regional competition that traditionally characterized intergovernmental relations. The shift from competitive regionalism to cooperative federalism is the result of the progressive Europeanization of the Spanish state & its autonomous communities, which has encouraged consultation & cooperation between the national government & the regions. As traditional forms of intergovernmental relations proved ineffective for necessary coordination & cooperation, the Spanish government & the autonomous communities established a new procedure for cooperating in European affairs -- the first institutional framework to provide for the joint participation of all 17 autonomous communities in central-state decision-making. 1 Table. Adapted from the source document.