The actors of the Spanish 2013 local reform

Abstract

Objectives: The main objectives of this article are to examine the context in which the 2013 local reform took place and to analyze the key actors involved in it. Methodology: To achieve this, a research methodology will be employed, consisting of an exhaustive analysis of the documentation produced between 2012 and 2013. Direct observation by the article’s author of the reform process is also used, along with subsequent evaluation of the impact of the law. Results: The results reveal the varying influence of the involved actors and how the final text reflects the balance among some of them. Conclusions: Noteworthy conclusions include that the National Institute of Public Administration (INAP) aligned the reform with financial sustainability and budgetary stability principles. The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IEF) emphasized the significance of population size in the efficiency of municipal services. The Technical General Secretariat of the Ministry of Finance strengthened state financial control. The Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) did not achieve its main objectives, whereas the collective of national-qualified professionals only managed to return to the situation prior to 2007. Furthermore, autonomous communities exercised a veto on certain essential aspects of the reform. Constitutional Court judgments partially affected the reorganization of municipal competences. Finally, political parties were found to have a variable impact on the final text.