Abstract
This paper considers whether, in the construction of the Autonomous State, especially as regards distribution of competences, it was avoidable or unavoidable that the Constitutional Court (CC) had an essential role. Irrespective of any speculation concerning what might have occurred but did not, if we cast our thoughts back, we cannot deny the fact that the doctrine of the CC with regard to the Autonomous Communities has been decisive in structuring the territorial organisation of the state. The numerous studies concerning said jurisprudence confirm this observation. From our point of view, this situation was foreseeable if we go by the content of Title VIII of the Constitution. Although this is true and the CC has performed a more than commendable and widely acknowledged task, there is also general agreement that this is not the best way forward and there are other avenues that should be sought in order to reduce the influence of jurisprudence in questions of a political nature.
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Notes
- 1.
For all, see the book by Fernández Farreres (2005).
- 2.
See what was at the time a stimulating article by Cruz Villalón (1999).
- 3.
M. Aragón is categorical in stating: “It may be said, without exaggerating, that our Autonomous State has been built principally by the Constitutional Court through its rulings.” In his article: “La construcción del Estado autonómico,” included in Aragón Reyes (2009), p. 737.
- 4.
In the constituent parliament (1977–1979), Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya (CDC), the party of J. Pujol and M. Roca Junyent, had still not formed an electoral coalition with Unió Democràtica de Catalunya (UDC), which gave rise to CiU, which is still in existence.
- 5.
See the speech of Jiménez de Asúa in Juliá (2009), pp. 215–216. This volume contains other speeches by constituent members of parliament which affected this matter.
- 6.
The reforms that we will indicate below are not the only reforms that, in our opinion, the Autonomous State needs but rather only those that relocate the functions of the CC so that its rulings do not erode the strictly jurisdictional nature of the body. Regarding the other reforms, see my collaboration in the collective work: VV. AA., “La reforma constitucional ¿hacia un nuevo pacto constituyente?” Minutes of the XIV Conference of the Lawyers’ Association of the Constitutional Court, CEPC, Madrid, 2009, pp. 47–112.
- 7.
The bibliography regarding reform of the Senate is extensive. A good synthesis of the different models proposed can be found in the Report of the Council of State and in the academic works that accompany it. Indeed, the papers of Professors Eliseo Aja, Paloma Biglino, Alfonso Fernández-Miranda, Piedad García-Escudero, Pedro González-Trevijano, Francisco J. Llera, and Ramón Punset, bring the different positions together very well. In turn, the work of the secretary of these papers, Professor Ángel Garrorena, included in said volume, goes way beyond a mere summary of the different positions and explains the debate that arose in depth and with knowledge. See all of this in: Llorente and Álvarez Junco (2006), pp. 178–241 and 709–929. For the recent state of the question, with a final thesis, see the article by: Cidoncha Martín (2001).
- 8.
This is the formula proposed by F. Balaguer Callejón in his paper included in the cited volume of: Informe de Consejo de Estado, op. cit., see pages 579–581, with similar reasoning, if not identical, to those herein set out. On the other hand, in the body of the Report, the question is treated tangentially and considered, with barely any argument, as a simplistic proposal (see, Informe del Consejo de Estado, op. cit., page 132).
- 9.
Indeed, literally interpreted, Article 149, SC, refers only to subject matters, be they of the State or of the Autonomous Communities. In this regard, the first paragraph of Article 149.1, SC, states: “The State has exclusive competence over the following matters (…).” In turn, Article 149.3, SC, refers twice to the subject matters of the Autonomous Communities, both in the attribution and residual clause: “The matters not expressly attributed to the State by this Constitution will correspond to the Autonomous Communities by virtue of their respective Statutes. Competence over the subject matters which have not been assumed by the Autonomous Communities will correspond to the State (…).”
- 10.
This approach is brilliantly set out in the book by: de la Quadra-Salcedo Janini (2008), pp. 155–200 and 201–219.
References
M. Aragón Reyes, Estudios de Derecho Constitucional, CEPC, Madrid, 2009, 2nd edition, page 737
A. Cidoncha Martín, “El Senado y su reforma (un clásico de nunca acabar), Revista Jurídica de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 2001
P. Cruz Villalón: “La estructura del Estado o la curiosidad del jurista persa,” included in the book: La curiosidad del jurista persa y otros estudios sobre la Constitución, CEPC, Madrid, 1999
T. de la Quadra-Salcedo Janini, Mercado nacional único y Constitución, CEPC, Madrid, 2008, pages 155-200 and 201-219
G. Fernández Farreres: La contribución del Tribunal Constitucional al Estado autonómcio, Iustel, Madrid, 2005
S. Juliá, La Constitución de 1931, collection: “Las Constituciones españolas” (dir. Miguel Artola), vol. VIII, Iustel 2009, pages 215-216
Rubio Llorente and J. Álvarez Junco, Informe del Consejo de Estado sobre la reforma constitucional. Texto del informe y debates académicos, CEPC, Madrid, 2006, pages 178-241 and 709-929
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de Carreras Serra, F. (2013). The Inevitable Jurisprudential Construction of the Autonomous State. In: López Basaguren, A., Escajedo San Epifanio, L. (eds) The Ways of Federalism in Western Countries and the Horizons of Territorial Autonomy in Spain. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27720-7_32
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