Devolution and Secession in Comparative Perspective. The Case of Italy and Spain

The chapter wants to cast light upon the historical developments and the current challenges o the territorial Constitution in both Italy and Spain. To this end, the structure of the chapter has been arranged in a way that, for each of the two countries first, the territorial organisation as envisaged by the Constitution is explained; second, the differences between these two states and federations are put forward; finally, a comparative analysis between the UK and these two states is made. In the section on Spain, stress is put on whether federalism could serve as an antidote for secession. Additionally, in light of the experiences of the 2014 referendums held in Scotland and Catalonia, some lessons will be drawn for Spain. The section on Italy is centred on the process of devolution and the power that unitarian dogmas have both in Italy and the UK, thus explaining the limited appeal of the federal idea there.