Participatory Democracy and Local Governance in Spain TAIEX Workshop on the promotion of the participative approach in local management Alger, January Autonomous University of Madrid /Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Fabiola Mota

OUTLINE 1.Introduction. The Spanish system of multilevel governance 2.Local Governance in Spain 3.Creation and evolution of Local and Participatory Democracy 4.Implications for public policy-making and management

 Spain underwent a twofold political change in the late 70s’ & early 80s’: 1.From an authoritarian regime to a democratic regime 2.From a centralized and unitary State to a decentralized State  Spanish Democratic transition’s challenges: 1.Modernizing the public administration, developing Welfare State 2.To accommodate nationalist demands from the periphery: Basque Country & Catalonia 3.Approaching democracy to citizens: Local Democracy Introduction Local Governance in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management

Set up of three territorial level of democratic government: Elections to the European Parliament since 1987 Political system in Spain characterized as multilevel governance National government/ Parliament (elections since 1979) 17 Regional governments/ Parliaments (elections since 1980) Around local elected governments (elections since 1979) Introduction Description of Local Governance in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management Concluding remarks Introduction Local Governance in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management

 Local governance in Spain is the result of two different political goals: – modernizing local public administration (increasing efficiency and transparency in public policy), and – democratizing local government (bringing public decision making closer to citizens).  The influence of the New Public Management, during the 80’s and 90’s, and the doctrine of Governance after the 2000 has contributed to the shaping of local governance in Spain. Introduction Local Political System in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management Concluding remarks Introduction Local Governnce in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management

 Main characteristics of Local Government Constitutional recognition of local democracy in Spain. Electoral competition as the way to gain and execute political power Similarity between the political parties at local level and central level: Local elections tend to anticipate the electoral results at national elections. The local Executive is embodied in the Mayor who is responsible to the Local Assembly, that is, the Local Legislative Introduction Local Governance in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management

The Spanish Constitution of 1978 states that Local governments have general competencies upon local affairs without defining specific nor particular competencies It is the State Legislation on the Local Regime which establishes a list of mandatory public services that, according to municipality’s population size, must be provided by local government: road pavement, sewage system, public transportation, etc. The local system in Spain shows a high number of municipalities (8.119 distributed among 50 provinces) which are very heterogonous in population size (Table below). Introduction Local Governance in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management

Spanish localities by population size Source: Statistic National Institut, INE 2015

 Local Administration and Public Policy The role of local governments in public policy making is limited by the high centralization of regional governments with regards to their own local governments They are mainly in charge of managing and implementing policies coming from central and regional legislation. One out of four public servants belongs to the local administration (25% of the total public servants in Spain). Introduction Local Governance in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management

% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Incomes Expenses Local Regional Adm. Central Fiscal decentralization in Spain, 2007 (in percentages)

In terms of financial resources they have very limited fiscal autonomy (collecting around 10% of taxes) and are very dependent on the funding resources transferred by central government. As a result local public finances are usually in crisis. Over the last four decades, local public expenditures have remain quite the same, around 13% of total public expenditure in Spain. Local governments have been in charge of public policies in the field of citizen participation: the public budget for citizen participation has increased over the past decades as well as the public staff responsible for managing and implementing citizen participation policies. Introduction Local Governance in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management

 Participatory democracy involves to widen and enhance citizen participation in local decision making  The political initiatives come from local governments as a response to: -Citizens demands for involvement in local policy process (mainly from local civic associations and social groups), and -National and EU promotion of public administration reform: EU Commission's White Book on Governance (2001) Law of Measures for Modernizing Local Government in Spain (2003) Introduction Local Governance in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management

 Evolution of local initiatives and institutional mechanisms of citizen participation: First stage : Creation of Local Regulation of Citizen Participation (LRCP) which sets up the legal and institutional framework for participation. By 1990, 70% of the municipalities with over inhabitants had approved LRCP. And by 2000, around 52% of the municipalities of over inhabitants had LRCP. Creation of Advisory Councils, sectorial or territorial, on an associative base (citizen participation takes place through local associations representatives). By 2000, 60% of municipalities of over inhabitants had constituted some sort of Advisory Council (mainly in the areas of social and cultural policies) Introduction Local Governance in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management

Mechanisms of local citizen participation in Spain (1 st stage) Introduction Local Governance in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management Participative mechanisms Sectorial domain Territorial domain City/town domain Associative base ‘Sectorial councils’ ‘Joint management of services and civic centers’ ‘Neighborhood Councils’ Mixed base‘Agenda 21’ ‘Neighborhood Integrated Plans’ ‘Strategic Plans’ Individual base‘Citizen Juries’ ‘Participatory Budgets’

Second stage : Creation of joint management experiences involving local associations in the public management of social and cultural services. Most municipalities with over inhabitants apply this mechanism of citizen participation based on local associations. By 2000, 75% of the large municipalities had introduced joint management of sportive facilities and leisure, 27% included also cultural services and 20% health and social programs too. Influence of the New Public Management approach. Creation of mechanisms for individual participation such as a postbox for suggestions and complaints about local public services. Introduction Local Governance in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management

Mechanisms of local citizen participation in Spain (2 nd stage) Introduction Local Governance in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management Participative mechanisms Sectorial domain Territorial domain City/town domain Associative base ‘Sectorial councils’ ‘Joint management of services and civic centers’ ‘Neighborhood Councils’ Mixed base‘Agenda 21’ ‘Neighborhood Integrated Plans’ ‘Strategic Plans’ Individual base‘Citizen Juries’ ‘Participatory Budgets’

Third stage : Introduction of mixed participative mechanisms (involving associations and individuals not organized) and very different dynamics of citizen participation (processes of public debate and the drawing up of policies) such as: Local Agenda 21 (aimed at environmental protection and sustainable development policies). Put in place by around 90% of cities of over inh. Neighborhood Integrated Plans (aimed at neighborhood at risk of social exclusion, impoverished). It entails the cooperation of various administrations (local, regional and national, and it may be partially funding by the EU) and involves many policy areas. By 2000, 20% of municipalities had introduced this mechanism. Strategic Plans (aimed to define the strategies of urban development). It entails the cooperation of various administrations and many policy areas. By 2000, put in place by 50% of cities of over inh. Introduction Local Governance in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management

Mechanisms of local citizen participation in Spain (3 rd stage) Introduction Local Governance in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management Participative mechanisms Sectorial sphere Territorial sphere City/town sphere Associative base ‘Sectorial councils’ ‘Joint management of services and civic centers’ ‘Neighborhood Councils’ Mixed base‘Agenda 21’ ‘Neighborhood Integrated Plans’ ‘Strategic Plans’ Individual base‘Citizen Juries’ ‘Participatory Budgets’

And deliberative mechanisms such as: Citizens Juries made up of local people randomly selected from an official census, contribution of experts (architectures, engineers, etc.) in the topic at stake and process supervised by an advisory group. Participatory Budgets: people decide at neighborhood or municipal level how to allocate part of the municipal budget. Creation of participative mechanisms for online information (local webs), deliberation (chats and forums) and decision making (electronic voting). The latest stage: from 2010 to date After the financial crisis of 2007 and its consequences on the Spanish national economy it happened that most of local governments fell in bankruptcy with the subsequent reduction of local budget for citizen participation policies. However, It may be said that local partnership in policy making and implementation and citizen participation in local policy decision making have been consolidated. Introduction Local Governance in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management

 Citizen participation in local policy making may have different kind of effects:  Effects upon the individuals (changing social values – social trust; feelings of political efficacy and capacity; increasing political knowledge and so on)  Effects upon the community (increasing economic growth or social wellbeing; reducing social inequalities or school failure; creating social networks and civic associations and so on).  Effects upon public policy making and management (improving public efficiency, reducing public expense, increasing public transparency, and so on) Introduction Local Governance in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management

 The introduction of local governance and participatory democracy in Spain have spread the social belief that urban planning does not make sense without citizen participation and the cooperation between state and non- state stakeholders (small and medium size firms, unions, neighborhood associations, cultural institutions, etc.).  It has also contributed to modernize local public administration by making it more efficient and responsive. Introduction Local Governance in Spain Local and Participatory Democracy Implications for public policy & management

Autonomous University of Madrid /Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Fabiola Mota THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION