The Territorial Reform Spain Needs: Provinces vs. Autonomous Communities

Provinces versus Autonomous Communities: the alternative that achieves efficiency

The debate regarding Spanish territorial organization has resurfaced with force. One body of analysis holds that the autonomous system, with its 17 administrations and redundancies, costs the country up to €200 billion annually that could be saved. This figure, speculated in economic forums, aligns with EU calculations regarding the cost of over-administration. If Spain adopted a provincial system, eliminating autonomous parliaments and regional ministries, the savings would be substantial. This is not merely a matter of efficiency; it is also about national unity, as the province dilutes regionalism by lacking direct cultural or educational competencies.

The Argument for Unity and Language Protection

The proponents of the provincial system propose replacing autonomous communities with a structure based on municipalities, provinces, and regions (understood as groupings of provinces) under the principle of subsidiarity. Competencies would be distributed between the central state and the provinces, without needing an intermediate level. The protection of languages and traditions would be managed through voluntary associations of local areas, avoiding impositions like those suffered by Castilian-speaking regions in inland Valencia. This model, inspired by ecclesiastical dioceses, seeks a balance between identity and operability. Furthermore, the province is the most efficient unit for delivering public services and avoiding redundancies.

Vested Interests: The Real Barrier

The principal obstacle, agree critics and defenders alike, is the resistance of the political class. The autonomous system is a factory of positions: nearly 200,000 politicians depend on it, across parliaments, ministries, and dependent bodies. Regional elites are unwilling to lose power or budget. Furthermore, national parties, such as Vox and Podemos, have failed to articulate a clear territorial alternative, preferring either centralist logic or mere electoralism. The demonstrations by the Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) reflect that municipalism remains alive and could form the basis of reform. However, institutional inertia and the distribution of power make successful reform unlikely.

In short, the debate leaves an uncomfortable question: how much more will we pay to maintain a model many consider unsustainable? Meanwhile, pressure from the EU and public deficit could force this discussion sooner or later. History, however, shows that territorial reforms in Spain rarely happen for efficiency; they occur during a crisis.