International projection of the Autonomous Communities in the law on the State Foreign Service and Action (LAESE): Territorial autonomy and action unit of the foreign politics

Abstract

In March 2014 came into force the Law on the State Foreign Service and Action (LAESE). It is a legislative innitiative aimed to modernize and coordinate the foreign politics of Spain that has been sponsored by the current Government of the Popular Party and that has been passed with the only 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-centralizer” character. Therefore, it is worth to debate if the law shortens the autonomic competences in foreign issues. The present article analyses the tratment received by the Autonomous Communities in the text of the above mentioned law. I comes to the conclusion that it does not cut autonomic competences in foreign issues, but identifies several lacks that put in doubt the efectiveness that the new law can reach.