Spanish fiscal decentralization: A successful (but still unfinished) process

Abstract

Both fiscal and political decentralization have been a worldwide trend in recent decades. Spain is probably the best example of this evolution, insofar as it became one of the most decentralized countries in the world in just over three decades, departing for a highly centralized institutional framework. This paper aims to conduct a detailed analysis of this process, focusing on the fiscal aspects. While we show the successful aspects, we also point out its shortcomings and failures. Those lessons from Spain can be very useful for centralized or low decentralized countries involved in designing institutional reforms to become more decentralized. Our second aim is to review the way in which the Spanish sub-central levels of government have responded to the so-called “Great recession”. Again, Spain is a good laboratory for what actually works and what does not in the area of stability and fiscal sustainability in decentralized states, for two reasons. First, it is by far the country which has suffered the brunt of the economic and financial crisis most acutely among those with a federal structure. And second, subsequent different solutions for tackling the fiscal crisis of sub-central governments have been tested.