Editing Devolution (section)

==Spain==
{{main|Nationalities and regions of Spain}}

The [[Spanish Constitution]] of 1978 granted [[self-government|autonomy]] to the ''nationalities'' and regions of which the [[Kingdom of Spain]] is composed. (See also ''[[autonomous communities of Spain|autonomous communities]] and [[autonomous cities of Spain|cities of Spain]]'')

Under the "system of autonomies" ({{langx|es|Estado de las Autonomías}}), Spain has been quoted to be "remarkable for the extent of the powers peacefully devolved over the past 30 years"<ref name="Mallet">{{cite news|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/de6c00f0-8c25-11de-b14f-00144feabdc0.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/de6c00f0-8c25-11de-b14f-00144feabdc0.html |archive-date=2022-12-10 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Flimsier footings|last=Mallet|first=Victor|date=18 August 2010|newspaper=Financial Times|access-date=25 August 2010}}{{Registration required}}</ref> and "an extraordinarily decentralised country", with the central government accounting for just 18% of public spending; the regional governments 38%, the local councils 13% and the social-security system the rest.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12501023|title=A survey of Spain: How much is enough?|newspaper=The Economist|access-date=25 August 2010|date=6 November 2008}}{{Subscription required}}</ref>

In 2010 the Constitutional Court ruled that referendums of any kind, defined as measuring the public opinion of all voting citizens (''apellatio ad populum'') can't be held without government approval.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fernández Ramos |first1=Severiano |title=Las consultas populares no referendarias mediante votación: ¿un artificio del derecho público español? |url=https://laadministracionaldia.inap.es/noticia.asp?id=1510249 |website=La Administración al Día |publisher=Instituto Nacional de Administración Pública |access-date=12 August 2024 |language=Spanish}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sentencia Tribunal Constitucional 31/2010, Fundamentos (nº69) |url=https://hj.tribunalconstitucional.es/HJ/en/Resolucion/Show/6670#complete_resolucion&fundamentos |website=hj.tribunalconstitucional.es |publisher=Tribunal Constitucional |access-date=12 August 2024}}</ref>

On December 12, 2013, the [[Government of Catalonia|Catalan Government]] announced that a [[2014 Catalan self-determination referendum|referendum]] would be held on [[self-determination]]. The central government of Spain considers that a binding referendum is unconstitutional and cannot be held.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-25353086|title=Spain to block Catalonia independence referendum|date=2013-12-12|newspaper=BBC News|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-01-29}}</ref> On October 1, 2017, the regional government held a referendum despite having been declared illegal by the Spanish courts. Subsequently, several leaders were arrested and imprisoned on charges of "sedition" and "rebellion". The regional president fled to Brussels, but has so far escaped extradition as those offenses are not part of Belgian law or the European Arrest Warrant.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-20345071|title=Catalonia region profile|work=BBC News|date=June 11, 2018}}</ref> On December 21, 2017, fresh elections were held in which pro-independence parties held a slim majority and a broad coalition of constitutionalist parties expressed disappointment and concern for the future.