Perceptions of legitimacy in asymmetric decentralisation: evidence from Spain

Caroline Gray

No WP2604, IDEAGOV Working Papers from IDEAGOV - International Center for Decentralization and Governance

Abstract: This article examines the conditions under which asymmetric decentralisation arrangements that grant enhanced powers to minority-nationalist regions sustain or undermine the legitimacy of the territorial model among the remaining regions, drawing on evidence from Spain. While much scholarship has focused on how asymmetry accommodates minority regions and mitigates secessionist pressures, this study highlights the role of ‘standard regions’. Based on elite interviews in Andalusia, Extremadura, Murcia and the Valencian Community, contextualised with survey data, the findings indicate that asymmetry loses acceptance when it is seen as opaque, system-weakening or generating distributive grievances. Under these conditions, asymmetry risks fuelling renewed territorial tensions rather than fostering stability.

Keywords: asymmetric decentralisation; fiscal federalism; intergovernmental relations; territorial politics; minority nationalism; Spanish politics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H10 H30 H70 H77 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 24 pages
Date: 2026-01-28
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