The Autonomous Communities in the Law on the State Foreign Service and Action

Abstract

In March 2014 came into force the Law on the State Foreign Service and Action (LAESE). It is a legislative initiative aimed to modernize and coordinate Spain’s foreign politics. It was sponsored by the current Government of the Popular Party and has been approved only with the support of the same parliamentary group. The main objective of the law, to guarantee the principle of the state action unity, has put the Autonomous Communities in the middle of the political debate. Most of the critics done by the opposing parties have been focused on this aspect remarking its “re-centralizing”character. Therefore, it is worth to debate if the law shortens the autonomic competences in foreign issues. The present article analyses the treatment received by the Autonomous Communities in the text of the above mentioned law. I conclude that it does not cut autonomic competences in foreign issues, while identifying several debilities that put in doubt the effectiveness that the new law can reach.