The Paradiplomacy of the Autonomous Communities in Spain

This chapter analyzes the evolution of paradiplomacy in Spain, which is defined as the international activity of sub-state entities within the decentralized State established by the 1978 Constitution. While international relations remain an exclusive competence of the central government, autonomous communities have progressively expanded their foreign action strategies, legitimized by their internal powers and reinforced by the European Union's multilevel governance. The central argument is that paradiplomacy in Spain reflects a structural tension between the constitutional principle of foreign policy unity and the growing subnational internationalization driven by regional interests and identity politics. This dynamic has produced an institutionalized yet constrained paradiplomacy, marked by both cooperation and jurisdictional disputes. The chapter is divided into two main sections: the first examines the institutional, legal, and European dimensions of paradiplomacy; the second explores the cases of Catalonia and the Basque Country, whose proactive foreign policies illustrate the opportunities and limits of subnational diplomacy in Spain.