Intermunicipal Cooperation

Abstract

Cooperation and intermunicipalism are two essential concepts in the study of the current reality of local governments in Spain. Taking into account the complex territorial organization of the state and analyzing the current political-administrative framework, it is increasingly necessary to find mechanisms for intergovernmental and administrative relationships which allow us to respond more dynamically to the needs of citizens. The traditional “subjective” analysis, in which each municipality represents a unit that manages the common good in a grouped manner, has been left behind and new “functional” formulas are at the forefront, whereby these municipalities no longer work in isolation, but in relation to others based on necessity and opportunity criteria. Moreover, this intermunicipal cooperation can take place in a variety of forms, types, and legal regulations. The chapter analyzes its viability in light of the major systemic challenges that occur at this level of government, such as the hyper-fragmentation and dispersion of local government, local bodies’ chronic shortfalls in ensuring the provision of public services after multiple legal reforms, and the social commitments that are forged in a context of multilevel governance. It lists some of the political challenges posed by intermunicipal cooperation formulas such as the opacity of their structures, the dilution of political responsibility in managing public services, or the lack of direct democratic legitimacy, among others. The chapter ends with some recommendations on how these relationships can be addressed from our institutional framework, with special reference to the geographical and demographic problems derived from the Spanish local structure configuration.