by David Mathieson

It is ironic that just as the nationalist government in Scotland is churning the ground in preparation for a referendum on independence or ‘devo max’, another European country, Spain, is actively considering at ways of reining in a decentralised state.

The administrative system in Spain is one of the most highly devolved of any country in the EU and the wide range of powers exercised by the powerful regions or autonomias has long provided something of a model for the SNP.

Yet, with their economy under pressure, the costs of ultra-devolution are being increasingly questioned by Spaniards themselves.  Some regions are close to bankruptcy whilst the leaders of others are would like to throw in the towel and revert to a more centralised state.  A new political debate has opened up in which many ordinary Spaniards are openly asking ‘what is the point of further devolution – and is it worth the price?’

The 17 Spanish autonomias are generally responsible for the organisation and delivery of key public services such as health, education and justice and these alone account for some 80% of average regional spending.

The funding comes from a mixture of central and regional government revenues although not all regions enjoy the same spending powers nor do they raise revenue in the same way.  The founding fathers of the post-Franco constitution decreed that whilst the pace of devolution would be determined by local needs the eventual goal should be a uniform provision of services or what the Spanish have dubbed café para todos or ‘coffee for everyone’.

A noble aim maybe, but in the meantime the mishmash of services can be confusing – even the most enthusiastic advocates of the system admit that there are failures of coordination – and it is costly.

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