Local government in Spain

Last updated April 13, 2024

Local government in Spain refers to the government and administration of what the Constitution calls "local entities", which are primarily municipalities, but also groups of municipalities including provinces, metropolitan areas, comarcas and mancomunidades and sub-municipal groups known as Minor local entities (Spanish : Entidad de Ámbito Territorial Inferior al Municipio).^[1]^[2]

The administration of these entities is mostly provided by a council, each with a different name and set of rules (Spanish : régimen). These councils can be collectively thought of as a third sphere (or tier) of government, the first being the State (Spain) and the second, the regional governments.^[3]^[4]

For various reasons, local government is heterogeneous, not distributed in a balanced way across the nation,^[5] involves duplication of services^[6] and has even been labelled dysfunctional.^[7] Although Spain adheres to the European Charter of Local Self-Government, it declares itself not bound to the full extent by the requirement for direct elections of all local government authorities. ^[8]

Governing bodies

Municipal council

The governing and administrative body for most of the municipalities is the Ayuntamiento. The main organ of the Ayuntamiento is the plenary, the deliberative body formed by the elected councillors, and presided by the alcalde (English: Mayor). Unlike most European countries the mayor is not directly elected. The mayor is invested (and can be removed) by the councillors.^[9]

Open council

The concejo abierto ("open council") is the system used for the government and administration of low-population municipalities and some minor local entities. The government is exercised by a Mayor and the asamblea vecinal ("neighbourhood assembly"), formed by all the electors of the municipality. The Mayor is elected directly by the citizens.^[9]

Provincial council

Provinces are groupings of municipalities. Before the creation of the autonomous communities from 1978 on, provinces were the main administrative entity in Spain other than the central government. The governing and administrative body of the mainland provinces is the diputación provincial ("provincial council"). However, in six of the 17 autonomous communities (Asturias, Cantabria, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, and Navarre), the functions of the only provincial council are assumed by the regional government.^[10] In the Balearic Islands and The Canary Islands, the functions of a provincial council are assumed by an island council on each island.

A provincial council is made up of a plenary, the deliberative body, and an executive committee formed by the president and the deputies.^[11] The provincial councillors are indirectly elected to a 4-year mandate by the municipal councils as function of the results of the municipal elections.^[12]

Island council

In contrast to the rest of Spain, the two provinces of the Canary Islands and the province of the Balearic Islands do not have provincial councils. Instead, each of the seven major islands of the Canaries is administered by a cabildo (English: island council) and the four major islands of the Balearic Islands is administered by a consejo insular (English: island council). The functions normally undertaken by a provincial council are divided between the island councils and the regional governments of the respective autonomous communities.

Comarcal council

Comarcas are groupings of municipalities, established by regional governments, principally in Catalonia, Aragon and the Basque Country but also one in Castile and León. The comarcal council is the local administration and government body in the comarcas.

Metropolitan council

The Metropolitan Area of Barcelona is governed by a Metropolitan Council made up of representatives of the 36 councils making up its area, including the mayors as ex officio members of the council. It is responsible primarily for public transport, urban planning, water supply and treatment across the metropolitan area.

Others

There are a variety of other administrative bodies which are highly dependent on the particular regional legislation including:

Junta (English: assembly or board) used for some mancomunidades (not to be confused with the governing body of some autonomous communities)
Junta vecinal used for some minor local entities particularly in Cantabria
Alcalde pedáneo a single person mayor used for some minor local entities.
Concejo used for some minor local entities in Álava in the Basque Country.

Number

The number of registered local entities in June 2022 is shown in the following table.^[13]


Entity	Number
Municipalities	8131
Provinces	50
Comarcas	83
Islands	7
Mancomunidades	1023
Minor local entities	3683
Metropolitan areas	3
Other groups	103

Related Research Articles

A province in Spain is a territorial division defined as a collection of municipalities. The current provinces of Spain correspond by and large to the provinces created under the purview of the 1833 territorial re-organization of Spain, with a similar predecessor from 1822 and an earlier precedent in the 1810 Napoleonic division of Spain into 84 prefectures. There are many other groupings of municipalities that comprise the local government of Spain.

In Spain, a comarca is either a traditional territorial division without any formal basis, or a group of municipalities, legally defined by an autonomous community for the purpose of providing common local government services. In English, a comarca is equivalent to a district, county, area or zone.

The municipality is one of the two fundamental territorial divisions in Spain, the other being the provinces.

The 2007 Spanish local elections were held on Sunday, 27 May 2007, to elect all 66,131 councillors in the 8,111 municipalities of Spain and all 1,038 seats in 38 provincial deputations. The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities, as well as local elections in the three foral deputations of the Basque Country and the eleven island councils in the Balearic and Canary Islands.

In present-day Spain a mancomunidad (English: municipal association ) is an association of municipalities voluntarily established by some municipalities with the aim of carrying out joint projects or providing common services.

Government in Spain is divided into three spheres or levels: the State itself, the regions or autonomous communities and local entities. These levels are not hierarchical, meaning there is no supremacy or primacy of one over the other, but rather they are separately defined by their jurisdictional powers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Spanish local elections</span>

The 2011 Spanish local elections were held on Sunday, 22 May 2011, to elect all 68,230 councillors in the 8,116 municipalities of Spain and all 1,040 seats in 38 provincial deputations. The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities, as well as local elections in the three foral deputations of the Basque Country and the eleven island councils in the Balearic and Canary Islands.

The 2015 Spanish local elections were held on Sunday, 24 May 2015, to elect all 67,515 councillors in the 8,122 municipalities of Spain and all 1,040 seats in 38 provincial deputations. The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities, as well as elections in the three foral deputations of the Basque Country, the four island councils in the Balearic Islands and the seven island cabildos in the Canary Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1983 Spanish local elections</span>

The 1983 Spanish local elections were held on Sunday, 8 May 1983, to elect all 67,505 councillors in the 7,781 municipalities of Spain and all 1,024 seats in 38 provincial deputations. The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities, as well as local elections in the three foral deputations of the Basque Country and the ten island councils in the Balearic and Canary Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 Spanish local elections</span>

The 1987 Spanish local elections were held on Wednesday, 10 June 1987, to elect all 65,577 councillors in the 8,062 municipalities of Spain and all 1,028 seats in 38 provincial deputations. The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities, as well as local elections in the three foral deputations of the Basque Country, the ten island councils in the Balearic and Canary Islands and the 1987 European Parliament election.

A provincial council is the administrator and governing body of a province of Spain. It is one of the entities that make up local government in Spain. The council is made up of a president, vice presidents, an executive committee and the plenary assembly of deputies.

An ayuntamiento is the body charged with the government and administration of the municipalities in Spain not bound to the regime of concejo abierto. The ayuntamiento is one of the bodies charged with Local government in Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1991 Spanish local elections</span>

The 1991 Spanish local elections were held on Sunday, 26 May 1991, to elect all 66,308 councillors in the 8,060 municipalities of Spain and all 1,032 seats in 38 provincial deputations. The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities, as well as local elections in the three foral deputations of the Basque Country and the ten island councils in the Balearic and Canary Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1995 Spanish local elections</span>

The 1995 Spanish local elections were held on Sunday, 28 May 1995, to elect all 65,869 councillors in the 8,067 municipalities of Spain and all 1,034 seats in 38 provincial deputations. The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities, as well as local elections in the three foral deputations of the Basque Country and the ten island councils in the Balearic and Canary Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 Spanish local elections</span>

The 1999 Spanish local elections were held on Sunday, 13 June 1999, to elect all 65,201 councillors in the 8,104 municipalities of Spain and all 1,034 seats in 38 provincial deputations. The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities, as well as local elections in the three foral deputations of the Basque Country, the ten island councils in the Balearic and Canary Islands and the 1999 European Parliament election.

The 2003 Spanish local elections were held on Sunday, 25 May 2003, to elect all 65,510 councillors in the 8,108 municipalities of Spain and all 1,036 seats in 38 provincial deputations. The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities, as well as local elections in the three foral deputations of the Basque Country and the ten island councils in the Balearic and Canary Islands.

The 2019 Spanish local elections were held on Sunday, 26 May 2019, to elect all 66,979 councillors in the 8,131 municipalities of Spain and all 1,038 seats in 38 provincial deputations. The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in twelve autonomous communities, as well as elections in the three foral deputations of the Basque Country, the four island councils in the Balearic Islands, the seven island cabildos in the Canary Islands and the European Parliament.

The Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) is an association of local governments in Spain for the purpose of representing the interests of local government to other government authorities. In June 2023, there were 7,324 members of a potential 12,060.

In some communities of Spain, minor local entity is a territorial entity of scope smaller than municipality defined and regulated by the regional governments.

The 2023 Spanish local elections were held on Sunday, 28 May 2023, to elect all 67,031 councillors in the municipalities of Spain and all 1,038 seats in 38 provincial deputations. The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in twelve autonomous communities, as well as local elections in the three foral deputations of the Basque Country, the four island councils in the Balearic Islands and the seven island cabildos in the Canary Islands.

References

↑ Local Government Act 1985, Articles 40-44.
↑ MPA, paragraph 4.
↑ Moreno 2016, p. 183.
↑ Albet i Mas 2019, p. 20.
↑ Cools & Verbeek 2013, Explanatory Memorandum paragraph 12 on page 7.
↑ Cools & Verbeek 2013, Recommendation 336 (2013) paragraph 5(c).
↑ Albet i Mas 2019, abstract.
↑ Cools & Verbeek 2013, Recommendation 336 (2013) paragraph 2(b).
1 2 Cools & Verbeek 2013, Explanatory Memorandum paragraph 14 on page 8.
↑ Local Government Act 1985, Article 40.
↑ Cools & Verbeek 2013.
↑ Canel 1994, pp. 51–52.
↑ Register of Local Entities.

Bibliography

Canel, María José (1994). "Local government in the Spanish autonomic state". Local Government Studies. 20 (1): 44–59. doi:10.1080/03003939408433710.
Cools, Marc; Verbeek, Leen (19–21 March 2013). Local and regional democracy in Spain. Council of Europe.
Moreno, Angel M. (June 2016). Merloni, Francesco (ed.). Regionalisation Trends in European Countries 2007-2015: Spain. Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of The Council of Europe. pp. 183–191.
Albet i Mas, Abel (2019). "The municipal map in Spain: structure, evolution and problems" (PDF). Geopolitica(s). Revista de estudios sobre espacio y poder (in Spanish). 10 (1): 11–40. doi: 10.5209/GEOP.63834 .
Spanish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation. "Register of Local Entities". Local Entity Portal (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 June 2022.
"Local Government Act, Organic Law 7/1985" (in Spanish). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado. 1985. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
"Local Government in Spain" (PDF). Ministry of Public Administration. Retrieved 11 June 2022.