The formation of the state of autonomies in Spain in the conditions of establishment and consolidation of democracy (1975-1996)

The democratization of Spain, which began after the death of the founder of the authoritarian regime F. Franco in November 1975, put on the agenda of the final solution of the problem of national-territorial organization of the state. The first democratic government of Adolfo Suarez immediately recognized the right of national minorities to autonomy. The new Constitution adopted by referendum in December 1978, introduced the term «nationality», and thus adopted the multinational character of the Kingdom of Spain. The Constitution established a system of distribution of powers between the state and the Autonomous Commonwealth and further elaborated on the content of the two types of autonomies: territorial (regional) and local (administrative). In turn, the territorial (regional) autonomy has two levels dictated by 143 and article 151 of the Constitution. The content of the article is actually (although not explicitly allow and type of autonomy. The Spanish Constitution has recorded two ways to get the Autonomous statuses: «fast» (Art. l51) and «slow» (art. 143). The accelerated way could make use of the regions, where the population has voted for autonomy while still a Republic of the 30s and even then gained it. The process of solving national-regional issue at the institutional level has gone through three main stages: 1) 1975-1978. - creation of «предавтономного» mode in Catalonia and the Basque Country; 2) 1978-1981. - «Golden age» of regional autonomy, the establishment of three Autonomous regions of Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia with the Autonomous parliaments and governments; 3) 1981-1983 biennium. - the government of the Spanish socialist workers party completed the approval of the statutes of all 17 regional communities. An important event, which promoted the development of the state of autonomies in the eighties was, undoubtedly, participation in 1986. Spain into the European Union. The creation of Autonomous communities contributed to reduce the gap between rich and poor areas. Autonomy have demonstrated their ability to solve complex social problems. Autonomization gave impetus to the development of national languages and cultures. In the course of autonomy have been saved, the territorial integrity and a unified economic space and a common legal field. However remained unresolved regional asymmetry , as well as the absence of the mechanism of participation of the Autonomous communities in the conduct of public policy.

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