Lesson 40 of 84 · Comparing Governments
Spain's State of Autonomies
Is a country federal if its constitution never uses the word?
🎯 Your mission
Spot the fair part. Spot the unfair part.
⚡ The twist
Laws change. Power changes who gets to change them.
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Spain's 1978 constitution created a distinctive system that is neither formally federal nor simply unitary. It describes Spain as an indivisible nation while recognizing the right to autonomy of its 'nationalities and regions'. The country is divided into 17 autonomous communities plus the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, each with its own parliament and government.
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The arrangement is asymmetric: the Basque Country and Navarre collect most of their own taxes under historic fiscal arrangements, and Catalonia, Galicia and the Basque Country have their own languages with official status alongside Spanish. Scholars often call Spain a federation in all but name.
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The system has faced tension, especially in Catalonia: a 2010 Constitutional Court ruling struck down parts of a revised Catalan statute, and after an unauthorized 2017 independence referendum the national government used Article 155 to suspend Catalan self-government temporarily. Opinions on these events remain sharply divided.
Key facts
- 1Spain has 17 autonomous communities and two autonomous cities, Ceuta and Melilla.
- 2The Basque Country and Navarre have special fiscal regimes allowing them to collect most taxes.
- 3In 2010 Spain's Constitutional Court struck down parts of Catalonia's 2006 Statute of Autonomy.
- 4In October 2017 the Spanish Senate approved the use of Article 155 to take temporary direct control of Catalonia's government.
Timeline
- 1978
Spain's constitution establishes the right to autonomy.
- 1979
The Basque Country and Catalonia approve statutes of autonomy.
- 2010
The Constitutional Court rules on Catalonia's statute.
- 2017
An unauthorized referendum is followed by the use of Article 155.
Places to know
Barcelona
41.39° N, 2.17° E
Vitoria-Gasteiz
42.85° N, 2.67° W
Then & Now
Relations between Spain's central government and its autonomous communities, especially Catalonia, remain central to Spanish politics.
Mind = blown
Navarre's special fiscal rights trace back to its medieval kingdom's charters, known as fueros.
Question 1 of 3
How many autonomous communities does Spain have?
Question 2 of 3
Why is Spain's system called asymmetric?
Question 3 of 3
The 2017 Catalan crisis is described very differently by Catalan independence supporters and by the Spanish government. What is the best approach for a student?
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Spain's State of Autonomies
Spot the fair part. Spot the unfair part.
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