Europeanization of political structures and public policies

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the impact of European Union governance on the Spanish polity. More specifically, the research question that guides the chapter is the following: What consequences and effects have Spain's membership of the EEC/EU had on the institutional evolution of the Spanish Political System? The chapter deals mainly with the impact on the main political arenas, policy structures as well as on the contents of the more Europeanized public policies. The chapter shows that there has been significant Europeanization of the main Spanish political arenas (legislature, executive, and judiciary) over the last decades. Moreover, the chapter also shows that the EU integration process has introduced a gradual adaptation process and relevant innovations within Spanish public policies, particularly those related to the construction of the European market as well as with the construction of the Economic Union.

This chapter has been made with the support of the Erasmus + Programme of the EU (Grant Reference 600488-EPP-1-2018-ES-EPPJMO-CHAIR) as well as thanks to the support of the Spanish Minister of Economy and Competitiveness through the project with reference CSO2015-67213-C2-2-P.