Other Systems of Government in Western Europe

1
Other Systems of Government in Western Europe

• Including ...
• Germany
• Spain

2
Contemporary Issues in Europe

• End of the Cold War
• Challenges to the state
• Basis of the nation state
• European integration

3
Political Systems in Europe

• Similarities
• liberal democracies
• histories of regime change
• rule of law

4
Political Systems in Europe

• Differences
• EU / non EU
• small, medium and large states
• federal, asymmetric federalising, unitary, union
  
• presidential and parliamentary systems
• unicameral and bicameral legislatures
• electoral and party systems
• political culture

5
Country Groupings

• 3 major powers (UK, D, F)
• Benelux
• S European / Mediterranean states
• Nordic states
• Other small states
• Micro-states
• Central and Eastern European states

6
Comparing States - Categories

• Historical context
• Constitution / type of state
• Political system
• Executive
• Legislature
• Parties and elections

7
Germany and Spain
8
Germany and Spain - History

• Germany
• old nation, new state
• regime changes
• 1871-1918
• 1918-33
• 1933-45
• 1945-9
• Post 1949
• reunification 1990

• Spain
• old state, many nations
• regime changes
• 1868-72
• 1872-1923
• 1923-32
• 1932-36
• 1936-9
• 1939-75
• Post 1975
• Transition to democracy

9
Constitution / Type of State

• Germany
• 4 Ds
• Basic Law - 1949
• Federal state
• Bicameral government
• Compromise and consensus
• Constitutional Court

• Spain
• Democratisation and decentralisation
• 1978 Constitution
• 3 main principles
• State of Autonomies
• A federal system?

10
Heads of State and Government

• Germany
• Federal President
• symbolic role
• Chancellor
• Gerhard Schröder
• secure tenure

• Spain
• Monarch
• King Juan Carlos
• role in transition
• El Presidente - PM
• José Maria Aznar
• secure and strong position

11
Do they dye their hair?
12
Executive

• Germany
• Chancellor and ministers
• small ministries
• ministers chosen by Chancellor, but relatively
  autonomous
• Coalition governments the norm

• Spain
• Prime Minister and ministers in Council of
  Ministers
• large ministries
• ministers chosen by PM
• Majority governments the norm

13
Legislature

• Germany
• Bicameral
• Bundestag
• federal chamber
• 662 members
• committee work
• Bundesrat
• represents Länder
• strong 2nd chamber

• Spain
• Bicameral Cortes
• Congress of Deputies
• dominant chamber
• 350 members
• distance between deputies and citizens
• Senate
• territorial chamber?
• Weak actor

14
Parties and elections

• Germany
• same parties at federal and Land level
• 2 dominant parties
• CDU
• SPD
• Other parties

• Spain
• state-wide parties and regional/nationalist
  parties
• 2 dominant parties at centre
• PP
• PSOE
• Other parties

15
Similarities and Differences

• Similarities
• dictatorships in past
• transition to democracy successful
• territorial politics important
• strong chief executives and executives
• bicameral legislatures
• 2 dominant parties at the centre (centre-left
  centre-right)
• leaders with suspiciously dark hair

16
Similarities and Differences

• Differences
• nation and nationalities - Spain plurinational
• federal republic v. quasi-federal constitutional
  monarchy
• tensions between centre and periphery in Spain
• strong 2nd chamber in Germany
• regional political parties important in Spain
• most administration at Land level in Germany