The state of autonomy is the model of territorial organization that was established in Spain after the approval of the 1978 Constitution. It is an intermediate system between the unitary state and the federal state, which recognizes the right to autonomy of the nationalities and regions that make up the country, as well as solidarity between all of them. The autonomous communities have been acquiring a greater degree of autonomy, both in the legislative and executive spheres.
The state of the autonomies is currently made up of 17 autonomous communities and two autonomous cities (Ceuta and Melilla), which have powers to approve laws and manage their own interests in the matters recognized by the Constitution or their statutes of autonomy, the which include the basic rules that regulate the organization and functioning of each autonomous community or city.
The state of the autonomies also respects the historical rights of the regional territories, that is, the Basque Country and Navarra, which have a special tax regime that allows them to collect and manage their own taxes.
The powers of the autonomous communities cover a wide range of subjects, including education, health, culture, the environment, economic development and social policy. Thus, for example, in the legislative sphere, the autonomous communities have the capacity to approve laws in the matters that correspond to them, and in the executive sphere, the autonomous communities have their own government, composed of a president, a government council and a legislative assembly.
The state of the autonomies is characterized by its flexibility and diversity, since not all autonomous communities or cities have the same level of self-government or the same powers. Furthermore, the process of building the state of the autonomies was not simultaneous or uniform, but rather developed in several stages and with different access routes to autonomy.
The state of the autonomies constituted a single state made up of various political units, which sought to satisfy the demands of self-government and the implementation of decentralizing systems, thus once the pre-autonomies were granted in Catalonia and the Basque Country, this formation was extended to the rest. of the country, until it was endorsed in the 1978 Constitution, but highlighting the indissolubility of the Spanish state.
Thus, in 1981, the state of autonomy as we know it today was finally configured, which has been updated through the resolution of conflicts with the Central State, the articulation of new reforms, or the acceptance by derived European directives. of the Legislation itself in some cases Spanish and in others European.
A federal state, on the other hand, is a form of decentralized political organization, in which power is divided between a central government and several regional or state governments, which are related according to the provisions of a federal Constitution. This establishes how powers are distributed between central and territorial institutions, as well as the mechanisms of participation, cooperation and mutual control.
A federal state is based on the principle of shared sovereignty, that is, both the central government and regional or state governments are sovereign in their respective areas of competence. In addition, regional or state governments have their own Constitution or Magna Carta, which must respect the principles and values of the federal Constitution.
A federal state is also characterized by its rigidity and uniformity, since the federal Constitution is difficult to modify and requires the consensus of all regional or state governments. Furthermore, the process of formation of the federal state is usually prior to or simultaneous with that of the federal Constitution, and all regional or state governments have the same level of self-government and the same powers.
Some examples of federal states are the United States, Germany, Mexico or Argentina. In these countries, regional or state governments are called (federated) states, and are represented in a bicameral legislative body, where one chamber reflects the population (lower house) and another reflects territorial equality (upper house).
Thus, the organization of a state or country, independent of its structure, in modern societies of the last two centuries is based on a human invention, which in the search to solve the conflicts that coexistence entailed, and seeking ways to reach consensus and offer a fair and egalitarian environment in terms of resource management, education, health, and the creation of opportunities, it was necessary to find a system capable of managing lands, resources and the behavior of their cities, as well as the rights and obligations that arose from their relationship with the state, representative of the Government and the nation.
This is how the confederate states and the regional or autonomous states emerged, however in recent times, the figure of the multinational or plurinational state has emerged, based on the cultural power of certain confederated states or autonomies, causing problems regarding the very definition of nation. However, all of these are pragmatic solutions, adopted to resolve problems related to the government structure of the countries that enable coexistence, the exploitation of resources and the distribution of benefits, through the promotion and growth of social services for improving the quality of life of its citizens.
In Spain, in recent years more and more autonomous communities are demanding a greater degree of autonomy, especially in matters that affect their cultural, linguistic or economic identity, which is the last matter in which They compete in attracting investments and talent.
Spain’s autonomous model has been the subject of debate and controversy over the years, with different opinions regarding its effectiveness and economic sustainability. While some argue that the autonomies have allowed a greater level of decentralization and autonomy for the regions, others believe that the system has led to duplication of administrative structures and burdens, as well as political conflicts between regions.
In conclusion, the state of autonomies and the federal state are two different ways of territorially organizing a country, which have advantages and disadvantages depending on the historical, political and social context. The state of the autonomies is more flexible and diverse, but also more complex and unstable. The federal state is more rigid and uniform, but also clearer and more balanced.
