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Institut
d'Estudis Autonòmics |
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Palau Centelles
Bda. de Sant Miquel, 8
08002 Barcelona
+34 933429800
bea@gencat.cat |
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This issue of the Newsletter marks the beginning of a new project for communicating with the international community interested in understanding and keeping abreast of political and legal developments and debates regarding the territorial institutional setting in Spain . At the IEA we are aware that there is an important gap in the sense that news items about political and legal developments are usually aimed either at a very specialised audience which understand the details, the context and the languages employed, or else at a very broad public who only need to know the specific news itself. In this sense, the IEA Newsletter, in combination with the IEA's website, aims at bridging this gap, albeit very partially, by preparing material aimed at an international audience.
What can you expect to find in the IEA Newsletter from this issue onwards?
Firstly, up to the minute news on the territorial debate, backed up by basic and contextual information that enables the reader to set the topic in context. This can be found in the section “Recent Developments in Self-Government in Spain ”. This section will provide the latest news on key issues and offer both our own complementary resources (to be found on the IEA's website) and external ones. Secondly, the Newsletter will continue to provide information about the IEA's schedule of activities (seminars, grants, the Vilaseca i Marcet Award, publications). Thirdly, the Newsletter will include a section devoted to highlighting a selection of new bibliographical items, with an emphasis on new developments in the Spanish and Catalan situation. |
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Recent Developments in Self-Government in Spain |
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The “clickable” political map provides basic up to the minute institutional and political information about each Autonomous Community (i.e. who governs, what the main opposition party is, what the composition of the parliament is, the date of last elections, etc.), as well as official links to the different institutions and parties that appear. In the case of Autonomous Communities that have begun a process of reforming their statute of autonomy, the information sheet also contains political details about the process, specifically details about the result of the voting carried out within the Autonomous-Community and both chambers of the Spanish parliament (Congress and Senate) to approve the texts, as well as the corresponding political alignments for each case. |
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Coming political events |
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Regional Elections in the Basque Country (April 2009 at the latest)
The last elections in the Basque Country were held in June 2005. Given that the maximum duration of the term of office is 4 years, new elections will have to be held by April 2009 at the very latest.
The Basque government is at present a minority coalition government, made up of three parties: Partido Nacionalista Vasco (the Basque Nationalist Party); Eusko Alkartasuna (the "Basque Solidarity" party), and Ezker Batua-Berdeak-Izquierda Unida (Basque Radical Left and Greens).
One of the most complex issues in the coming elections will be the problems regarding the political sector of the Basque radical pro-independence left. This sector is currently without a political party able to draw it together, due to the recent outlawing by the Supreme Court (September 2008) of the two parties that represent it, and as a result of their links with the terrorist organisation ETA: at a local level, Acción Nacionalista Vasca (Basque Nationalist Action), and in the Basque parliament (9 seats), el Partido Comunista de las Tierras Vascas (the Communist Party of the Basque Lands).
Useful links:
Coalition Agreement between the Basque Nationalist Party, Eusko Alkartsuna and Ezker Batua-Berdeak (document). |
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Regional Elections in Galicia (June 2009 at the latest)
Since the last elections in June 2005, the Autonomous Community of Galicia has been governed by a coalition made up of the Galician Socialist Party (PSG) and the Galician nationalists of the Galician Nationalist Block (BNG). The Galician government has the support of 38 autonomous MPs in a parliament of 75 seats. The third parliamentary party, the PP, has 37 seats. The government is therefore sustained by a single vote difference to the opposition.
In the coming elections, everything points not only to the tight balance of forces between the governing parties and the opposition maintaining its position, but also to the likelihood that the PP will fail to attain the level of results obtained in 2005. |
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The Process of Reforming the Statute of Castilla-La Mancha
October 2008
The legislative process established for approving the proposal for reform of the statute of Castilla La Mancha by the Spanish legislature, has begun controversially. The first step of the process, the vote in the Spanish Congress on whether or not to accept the processing of the proposal, led to a conflict arising within the two majority parliamentary groups - the socialists and the conservatives. The text of the proposal considers an issue (that of transferring water flows between river systems) where the perspectives in respect of the upper echelons of the two main parties enter into direct conflict with the perspectives of the respective territorial branches, those of the Comunitat Valenciana and the Comunidad Autónoma de Múrcia.
In short, the proposal contains a stipulation (first transitory stipulation) that envisages a final date for transferring water between the Tagus and Segura rivers, 2015. The transfer, in force since the end of 1970, is a hydraulic infrastructure that captures the flow at the source of the River Tagus, in Castilla la Mancha , and transfers it to the Segura, a Mediterranean river that provides drinking and agricultural irrigation waters to two other autonomous communities, the Comunidad Autónoma de Murcia and the Comunitat Valenciana. Both the existence of the transfer and the volume of water transferred are, and have been, the object of several confrontations between the territories of all three autonomous communities involved.
Thus, in spite of the whip for a favourable vote applied respectively by the leadership of the socialist and conservative groups, the Valencia and Murcia MPs from these two parliamentary groups manifested their refusal to accept the processing of the proposal and, in consequence, their intention of voting against. Negotiations within each group led eventually to a situation where only 2 MPs, both of them from the Conservatives's group, stood by their threats and voted against accepting the processing of the proposal. The final result of the vote was 315 votes in favour and 3 against processing the proposal (two conservative MPs and the only MP from the Unión,Progreso y Democracia party). The next step is the debate in Congress, and once the amendments that can be presented by the different groups are voted for, the text will be passed on to the Senate. With the final approval of the text by the Spanish legislature as an organic law, and subsequent publication in the official gazette of central government, the new statute for Castilla La Mancha will come into effect.
In order to understand the importance of this conflict, two aspects have to be borne in mind: First of all, it should be stressed that unlike other political systems, in the Spanish one breaking party discipline in parliamentary votes is an unusual and extraordinary event. Secondly, it should also be stressed that management of water has historically generated important territorial disputes between the areas defined as showing a “deficit” in water and zones with an “excess”, backed up large-scale social demonstrations. In short, in the Spanish political system, water and its management is a highly sensitive political issue.
It is in this context that we should place both the explicit inclusion of the debate on water transferring in the plan put forward by the political forces of Castilla La Mancha in the proposal for reforming the statute, and the radical reaction of the socialist and conservative MPs who placed the respective territorial interests above those of the parties they belonged to.
Nonetheless, it should be pointed out that the text of the reform proposal incorporates the issue from a perspective that is more political than constitutional, since, despite everything, the autonomous community does not have jurisdiction in the matter: Transfers between river systems by different autonomous communities, as is the case here, are the exclusive responsibility of the institutions of central government; in fact, water transferring is dealt with in a regulation passed by the Spanish legislature. Therefore, it is hardly improbable that the conflictive article could survive the parliamentary process. Whether this is the case, the Castilla-La Mancha prime minister has threatened to withdraw the proposal. |
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Latest News |
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The Constitutional Court Ruling on the Basque Country's Plebiscite Law
On 11 th of September 2008, the Constitutional Court ruled unanimously in favour of the appeal of unconstitutionality brought by the Prime Minister of the Government against what is known as the Basque plebiscite law. The plebiscite, called by the law of the same name for October 25th of this year, was aimed at obtaining the opinion of Basque citizens about two interconnected issues: firstly, whether they would agree to give their support to a process leading to a discussed and negotiated end to the ETA violence, and secondly, whether they would agree to give their support to the holding of a referendum before 2010, in accordance with a previous agreement of all Basque parties without exception, concerning the question of the Basque people's “right to decide”. [+]
Ruling (document in English) |
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Debates |
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Spending Power
The spending power of the central government and administration determines the Autonomous Communities' margin for decision making and political autonomy. By means of its spending power, the central government can not only end up violating the power framework, but also, and as a consequence, end up determining spending and establishing its own political directives in places where the party that governs the central executive does not reach.
One of the recent cases that best illustrates this is the passing of the law on dependence, a law from the Spanish parliament aimed at providing economic and human resources for people who are unable to care for themselves. The problem stems from the fact that the powers in this matter fall to the Autonomous Communities. [+] |
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Legal Resources |
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Recent Autonomous-Community Legislation (in Spanish) |
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Agreements of the Bilateral Commissions (Central Government and the Autonomous Communities) |
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The bilateral commissions are intergovernmental bilateral bodies composed by representatives of both Central Government and the Autonomous Communities. In this sense, there are 17 bilateral commissions, one for each Autonomous Community.
The commissions were created in the late 1980 and their function was mainly addressed to be a negotiation forum that could avoid further formal constitutional conflicts brought before the Constitutional Court.
Some Autonomous Communities, through their recently reformed statutes of autonomy, have broadened the scope of their respective bilateral commissions. In these cases, the bilateral commissions have become permanent forums of intergovernmental relations that deal, specially, with the participation of the respective Autonomous Community on the decision- and policy-making process of subject-matters that are of its direct interest, but that fall under Central government's jurisdiction. |
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More information on the bilateral commissions, see the web page of the Spanish Ministry of Public Administration (in Spanish). |
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More information on the Catalan and Central governments commissions at the following link |
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• Agreements to begin negotiations |
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• Agreements concluding negotiations |
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Recent Rulings by the Spanish Constitutional Court |
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Ruling 103/2008, 11 September
Unconstitutionality appeal num. 5707-2008, lodged by the Spanish Prime Minister against the Act of the Basque Parliament 9/2008, 27 June “to call and regulate a Basque plebiscite in order to collect public opinion in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country concerning the opening of a negotiation process to achieve peace and political normality”.
Decision: To uphold unconstitutionality appeal num. 5707-2008 and, consequently:
To declare the Act of the Basque Parliament 9/2008, 27 June “to call and regulate popular consultation in order to collect public opinion in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country concerning the opening of a negotiation process to achieve peace and political normality” to be unconstitutional and, consequently, null and void.
Ruling 101/2008, 24 July 2008
Unconstitutionality appeal 269-2008. Lodged by senators of the Partido Popular parliamentary group concerning the new section 7 of article 184 of the Senate Regulations introduced by the sole article reforming these regulations approved on 21 November 2007.
Decision: To reject this unconstitutionality appeal, declaring that section 7 of art. 184 of the Senate Regulations, introduced by the sole article reforming these regulations approved on 21 November 2007 is in accordance with the Constitution interpreted in the sense expressed in the legal basis of this decision, points 9 and 10.
There were dissenting votes by judges Conde Martín de Hijas and Delgado Barrio.
Ruling 49/2008, 9 April 2008
Unconstitutionality appeal 6729-2007. Promoted by more than fifty Partido Popular members of the House of Deputies concerning the sole article, sections 6 and 7, of Act 6/2007, 24 May, amending the Constitutional Court Act 2/1979, 3 October.
Decision: To reject unconstitutionality appeal 6729-2007 lodged by the Partido Popular members of the House of Deputies concerning the sole article, sections 6 and 7, of Act 6/2007, 24 May, amending the Constitutional Court Act 2/1979, 3 October.
There were dissenting votes by judges Conde Martín de Hijas and Delgado Barrio.
Ruling 47/2008, 11 March 2008
Dispute in defence of local autonomy 6613-2000. Promoted by Torrent Town Council and others in relation to article 2 and the transitional provision of the Act of the Government of Valencian Autonomous Community 8/1999, 3 December, abolishing the Metropolitan Area of L'Horta.
Decision: To declare the dispute in defence of local autonomy 6613-2000 defunct because of loss of purpose. Promoted by Torrent Town Council and others in relation to article 2 and the transitional provision of the Act of the Government of Valencian Autonomous Community 8/1999, 3 December, abolishing the Metropolitan Area of L'Horta.
There was one dissenting vote by Judge Rodríguez-Zapata Pérez. |
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Web Resources |
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Institutes of Public Opinion |
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Centre d'Estudis d'Opinió . Government of Catalonia
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Gabinete de Prospección Sociológica. Government of the Basque Autonomous Community |
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Events Organized at the IEA |
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Forthcoming Seminars |
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The Spanish Central Government's Spending Power and its Effects on the Powers of Autonomous Communities, 28 November
This seminar, starting with an analysis of the current debate concerning Canada, will study the Spanish case from the point of view of constitutional case law, the central government's application of the criteria it establishes and the purpose of cofinancing agreements in the exercise of spending power. The lecturers Alain Noël, of the University of Montreal; Luis Pomed, of the University of Zaragoza; Manuel Carrasco, of the University of Seville, and Maria Jesús García Morales, of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, will take part.
For more information, please, contact Ms. Elisabeth Vidal at the IEA |
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Recent Seminars |
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Conference of the International Association of Centers for Federal Studies (IACFS)
The annual seminar of the International Association of Centers for Federal Studies (IACFS) took place on 19 and 20 September at the headquarters of the IEA. The IACFS, founded in 1977 in Basle ( Switzerland ) is the principal association in the world for the study of federalism, and includes the most prestigious centres in this sphere.
This year's seminar, which was preceded by a meeting of the directors of the association's member centres on the afternoon of the 18th, revolved around the study of mechanisms for recentralisation and decentralisation of in compounded political systems. Centres from Australia , Canada , the United States , Argentina , South Africa , the United Kingdom , Italy , Switzerland , Austria , France , Germany and Russia took part. |
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Education in the Catalan Statute of Autonomy, 22 July
The process of drafting the Education Bill, which will soon be debated in the Catalan Parliament, and the way the new Statute deals with this issue were the two central planks of this seminar, which included specialists in administrative law, lawyers from the Legal Office and heads of the Catalan Government's Department of Education, who explained some of the principal matters arising from this issue from a theoretical and a practical point of view. |
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Intergovernmental Relations in Spain. The actors' Point of View, 27 June
The seminar on intergovernmental relations in Spain took place on 27 June and served for the presentation of the results of research carried out by a team from the National Distance Learning University, the University of Girona and the Autonomous University of Barcelona during the past three years based on intensive field work which led them to interview many leading figures from different ministries and autonomous communities on this issue. The IEA will publish a book with the results of the research in 2009.
In relation to this issue, you may be interested in #15 (May 2008) of the journal Activitat Parlamentària. |
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5 th Symposium on Fiscal Federalism: Regional Fiscal flows, “Fiscal Balances” and the Stability of Federations, 19 and 20 June
The IEA collaborated with the Barcelona Economics Institute (IEB) to hold this seminar, bringing together experts from many countries around the study of fiscal balances. |
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IEA Research Grants |
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Call for 2009 Grants |
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Between December and January, the IEA Call for 2009 Grants will be officially announced at the Official Gazette of the Catalan Government. Among the five different types of research grants, there is one specially addressed to international researchers: the IEA Visiting Researchers Grant.
The Grant is aimed to integrate visiting researchers into research projects on federal studies carried out by Catalan University's teams. Grant's maximum amount: € 9 000.
Although the call for grants will not be officially open until its publication in the Official Gazette of the Catalan Government in the above-mentioned period (December 08-January 09), in October, the application forms for all types of grant will be placed on the IEA website, so those interested can have enough information to prepare their application in time.
Deadline for submitting applications: 17 February 2009. |
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II Premi Josep Maria Vilaseca i Marcet |
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The international jury will soon meet to decide on the II JMVM Award. Updated information will be published in our web site. |
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The IEA Journal: Revista d'Estudis Autonòmics i Federals (REAF) |
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Issue No.7 (October 2008) will soon be published and access to it will be possible via the IEA website.
Researchers interested in sending originals may do so by e-mail to the address reaf@gencat.cat. Articles are subjected to anonymous evaluation (double blind system).
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Recent publications |
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Estado compuesto y derechos de los ciudadanos
Seminar. Barcelona 21 june 2007
"Institut d'Estudis Autonòmics" Collection, #54
La posición de Tribunal Supremo en el Estado autonómico
Seminar. Barcelona 17 may 2007
"Institut d'Estudis Autonòmics" Collection, #55
Ciutadania i identitat nacional en els processos de devolution a la Gran Bretanya i a França
Ivan Serrano Balaguer
"Institut d'Estudis Autonòmics" Collection, #56
Mundialització, lliure circulació i immigració, i l'exigència d'una llengua com a requisit. El cas del català, llengua oficial en part del territori d'un estat
Antoni Milian (coord.)
"Institut d'Estudis Autonòmics" Collection, #57
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Forthcoming Publications |
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El Federalista
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay
Estudio preliminar de John Kincaid, catedrático de Government and Public Service y director del Meyner Center for the Study of State and Local Government
"Clàssics del Federalisme" Collection, #1
El Govern Federal
K. C. Wheare
Estudio preliminar de Michael Burgess, catedrático de Federal Studies y director del Centre for Federal Studies
"Clàssics del Federalisme" Collection, #2
El sector públic en les comunitats autònomes: Una especial referència a Catalunya
Àngela Fernández i Céspedes
"Con(Textos)A" Collection, #8
El sistema de serveis socials a Catalunya: garantir drets, prestar serveis
Vicenç Aguado i Cudolà (coord.)
"Con(textos)A" Collection, #9
Més enllà de la nació unificadora: A favor del federalisme multinacional
Alain G-Gagnon
"Institut d'Estudis Autonòmics" Collection, #58
L'economia política de la descentralització fiscal. Introducció de la política en l'estudi de les transferències intergovernamentals
Sandra León-Alfonso
"Institut d'Estudis Autonòmics" Collection, #59
La libertad religiosa en las Comunidades Autónomas: veinticinco años de regulación jurídica
Ricardo García García (dir.)
"Institut d'Estudis Autonòmics" Collection, 60
Posición y funciones de los Tribunales Superiores de Justicia
Seminari
"Institut d'Estudis Autonòmics" Collection, 61 |
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Documentary and Bibliographic Holdings |
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Journals and Books Summaries |
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In the period between 1 June and 1 September 2008, 288 new records have been incorporated, reaching a total of 28,769 records.
For further information you can contact Maite Batalla (mtbatalla@gencat.cat - telephone 933 429 806).
Journal articles and books added between April and August 2008
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Recent Publications of Interest |
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Derecho público y Administración de la Comunidad de Madrid: 1983-2008: XXV Aniversario Comunidad de Madrid
Enrique Álvarez Conde; Rafael Plaza de Diego (dirs.). Madrid: Instituto Madrileño de Administración Pública. Tirant lo Blanch, 2008.
La financiación autonómica en los Estatutos de Autonomía
Jaime Aneiros Pereira (coord.); Ana María Pita Grandal. Madrid: Marcial Pons, 2008.
Derechos y principios rectores en los Estatutos de Autonomía
M. A. Aparicio Pérez (ed.). Barcelona: Atelier, 2008.
Respecting Linguistic Diversity in the European Union (Studies in World Language Problems)
Xabier Arzoz (ed.). Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Componany, 2008.
Zur Reform der föderalen Finanzverfassung in Deutschland: Perspektiven für die Föderalismusreform II im Spiegel internationaler Erfahrungen
Ralf Thomas Baus; Annegret Eppler; Ole Wintermann (ed.). Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, 2008.
Informe sobre el finançament de les comunitats autònomes 2006
Núria Bosch; Maite Vilalta Ferrer. Barcelona: Institut d'Economia de Barcelona; Generalitat de Catalunya. Departament d'Economia i Finances, 2008.
Sozialkapital, regionale Identität und Föderalismus
Peter Bußjäger; Helmut Kramer; Oscar W. Gabriel; Roland Sturm; Rita Trattnigg. Innsbruck: Wilhelm Braumüller; Institut für Föderalismus; Universitäts-Verlagsbuchhandlung, 2008.
Cuantificación de las necesidades de gasto de las Comunidades Autónomas en infraestructuras
Antoni Castells Oliveres (dir.). Madrid: Instituto de Estudios Fiscales, 2008.
Mercado nacional único y Constitución: Los artículos 149.1.1 y 139 de la Constitución
Tomás de la Quadra-Salcedo Janini. Madrid: Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales, 2008.
Explaining Federalism: State, Society and Congruence in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany and Switzerland
Jan Erk. London: Routledge, 2008.
¿Hacia una nueva doctrina constitucional del Estado Autonómico? (comentario a la STC 247/2007, de 12 de diciembre, sobre el Estatuto de Autonomía de la Comunidad Valenciana)
Germán Fernández Farreres. Madrid: Civitas, 2008.
XXV Aniversario de la Ley Orgánica de Reintegración y Amejoramiento del Régimen Foral de Navarra. Jornadas conmemorativas
Angel J. Gómez Montoro; Elena Torres Miranda; Julio Pedro Lafuente. Pamplona: Parlamento de Navarra, 2008.
Nationalism and Self-Government: The Politics of Autonomy in Scotland and Catalonia
Scott L. Greer. New York: State University of New York Press, 2008.
II Jornadas sobre el constitucionalismo vasco: constitucionalismo y autonomía: Bilbao 14 y 15 noviembre 2007
Vitoria-Gasteiz: Asociación Ciudadanía y Libertad, DL 2008.
Estudios jurídicos sobre el Estatuto de Autonomía de Aragón de 2007
Carmen Lahoz Pomar; Paula Bardavío Domínguez; Andrés Crevillén Múgica; José Luis Gay Martí. Zaragoza: Gobierno de Aragón, 2008.
El Estatuto básico del empleado público y su desarrollo por el Estado y las Comunidades Autónomas
Enrique Linde Paniagua (dir.). Madrid: COLEX: Ministerio de Administraciones Públicas, Instituto Nacional de Administración Pública, 2008.
Derechos estatutarios en ordenamientos jurídicos plurales
Hèctor López Bofill. Oñati: Instituto Vasco de Administración Pública, 2008.
Probleme der Föderalismusreform in Deutschland. Der gegenwärtige Stand der Reformen und der Auftrag der Föderalismuskommission II
Udo Margedant (ed.). Berlin: Konrad Adenauer Stiftung e.V., 2008.
El estado social autonómico: estudio especial del Estatuto de Autonomía de Andalucía
José Luis Montero Pérez; María Teresa Díaz Aanarte. Albacete: Bomarzo, 2008.
Las oficinas de representación de las regiones y municipios ante la Unión Europea
José Manuel Olivar de Julián. Pamplona: Aranzadi, 2008.
Devolution, Asymmetry and Europe: Multi-Level Governance in the United Kingdom
Rosanne Palmer; Michael Keating (ed.). Bruxelles: Peter Lang, 2008.
«Autonomie politique et réforme statutaire en Espagne: regards juridiques sur le "blindage des compétences" autonomes dans le nouveau statut de la Catalogne»
Benjamin, Pierre-Vantol, (2008). Article on-line.
Originalism, Federalism, and the American Constitutional Enterprise: A Historical Inquiry
Edward A. Purcell. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008.
El reparto de competencias en materia financiera en la doctrina del Tribunal Constitucional: especial consideración a las cajas de ahorros
Rafael Rojo Álvarez-Manzaneda. Cizur Menor: Thomson-Aranzadi, 2008.
Derecho público de Castilla y León
Ignacio Sáez Hidalgo (dir.). Valladolid: Lex Nova, 2008.
Föderale Politikgestaltung im deutschen Bundesstaat: Variable Verflechtungsmuster in Politikfeldern
Henrik Scheller (ed.). Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, 2008.
The Complete Anti-Federalist
Herbert J. Storing. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008. |
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