La gouvernance territoriale espagnole à l’épreuve de la crise économique : vers la recentralisation ?

Abstract

Has the economic crisis modified the political equilibria of Spanish territorial governance? Everything seems to suggest that this system is experiencing two forms of stress: centripetal and centrifugal. The centripetal dynamic is driven by the public debt and the necessity with which the central state is confronted to retake control of regional public finances. The centrifugal dynamic, for its part, is reflected in a refusal on the part of some regional executives – first and foremost, those of the Catalan government – to cooperate with this silent recentralization. On the contrary, they demand greater financial autonomy, which may lead to de facto independence. Spain is therefore a state generally tending towards federalism but in which the conjunction of political equilibria (national and regional) and the ups and downs of the economy have provoked major instability. In this respect, the upcoming elections will offer a key moment for understanding the evolution of the politico-territorial system. More than ever, the state of autonomies finds itself at a crossroads. ■