Spanish Autonomous Communities: Statutes, Laws, and Regional Governance

Mandatory Content of Autonomous Community Statutes (Art. 147 EC)

Article 147.2 of the Spanish Constitution (EC) mandates the following minimum content for Autonomous Community Statutes:

• The community's name, reflecting its historical identity.
• Demarcation of its territory.
• Name, organization, and headquarters of its autonomous institutions.
• Powers assumed within the EC framework and rules for transferring related services.

Amending the Statute of Autonomy

The Statute of Autonomy, although an organic law, requires a qualified quorum (2/3 of each House, national and regional) for amendment. It cannot be altered solely by the national Parliament or the regional Assembly. Constitutional amendment (Art. 166 et seq. EC) is the only route for restructuring the entire regional system or fundamentally altering a statute. Article 147.3 mandates that statutory reforms follow established procedures and require parliamentary approval through an organic act.

Regional Standards with Force of Law (Delegated Legislation)

Regional laws are issued by regional legislative assemblies, as defined in the Statute and Rules of the Legislative regional governments. Regional governments may issue legislative decrees (Statutes of 1979-1983) or both decrees and legislative decrees (Statutes of 2006 onwards, e.g., Catalonia).

Specific Regulations in Extremadura

The Act 1/2002 of February 28, on the Government and Administration of the Autonomous Community of Extremadura, regulates specific matters and procedures.

Legislative Assemblies: Nature and Characteristics

Legislative Assemblies are the unicameral bodies representing the citizens of each region. Members are elected by universal suffrage under a proportional representation system, allocating seats based on vote share.

Extremadura's Legislative Assembly: Constituency and Composition

The electoral constituency is the province. Voters are citizens with political status in Extremadura who have the right to vote. Eligible citizens can stand for election unless subject to legal grounds for ineligibility. The Assembly has a maximum of 65 members.