Spain as a Multilevel System of Government: Achievements and Frustrations. Notes for a 25-year Balance Sheet

Abstract

After 25 years of devolution inSpain, the author tries to evaluate the main results of this political process. Apparently, the regional solution has worked quite well if we consider the long centralist tradition in Spanish politics. But, if we consider the problems with some parts ofSpainthat have a strong feeling of identity due to linguistic and cultural traditions, different from the hegemonic one, the balance is not so positive.Spainis right now one of the most decentralized countries in the world, but nevertheless it lacks a good way of solving internal conflicts and shares a common decision making process, like other federal and European systems. This lack of equilibrium between strong capacity of the regions of managing policies and resources but a lack of real power of self government is in the basis of the current conflicts in the Spanish political system.