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Thepolitics of Andorra take place in a framework of aparliamentaryconstitutional monarchy, and amulti-party system.Executive power is exercised by the government, with theHead of Government of Andorra as chief executive.Legislative power is vested in both thegovernment and parliament. Thejudiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Before 1993,Andorra's political system had no clear division of powers into executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Aconstitution ratified and approved in 1993 establishes Andorra as a sovereign parliamentary democracy that retains theBishop of Urgell andpresident of France asco-princes and heads of state. However, the head of government retains executive power. The two co-princes serve coequally with limited powers that do not include an individualveto over government acts (however, a bill can in effect be "vetoed" if both do not sign the legislation). They are each represented in Andorra by a personal representative.
The fundamental impetus for this political transformation was a recommendation by theCouncil of Europe in 1990 that, if Andorra wished to attain full integration in theEuropean Union (EU), it should adopt a modern constitution that guarantees the rights of those living and working there. A Tripartite Commission – made up of representatives of the co-princes, the General Council, and the Executive Council – was formed in 1990 and finalized the draft constitution in April 1991, making the new constitution a fact.
One remaining, symbolic, legacy of Andorra's special relationship with France and Spain, is that the principality has no postal service of its own –French andSpanish postal servicesoperate side by side, although each of them issues separate stamps for Andorra, instead of using their own.
Under the 1993constitution, the co-princes continue as heads of state, but the head of government retains executive power. The two co-princes serve coequally with limited powers that do not include veto over government acts. Both are represented in Andorra by a delegate, although since 1993,France andSpain have their own embassies. As co-princes of Andorra, theBishop of Urgell and thePresident of France maintain supreme authority in approval of all international treaties with France and Spain, as well as all those that deal with internal security, defense, Andorran territory, diplomatic representation, and judicial or penal cooperation. Although the institution of the co-princes is viewed by some as an anachronism, the majority sees them as both a link with Andorra's traditions and a way to balance the power of Andorra's two much larger neighbors.
The way the twoprinces are chosen makes Andorra one of the most politically distinct nations on earth. One co-prince is the sittingBishop of Urgell of theCatalan city ofLa Seu d'Urgell, currentlyJoan Enric Vives i Sicilia. The other is the sitting President of France, currentlyEmmanuel Macron (it has historically been any head of state of France, including kings and emperors of the French). As neither prince lives in Andorra, their role is almost entirely ceremonial.
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In 1981, the Executive Council, consisting of theCap de Govern (head of government) and seven ministers, was established. Every four years, after the general elections, the General Council elects the head of government, who, in turn, chooses the other members of theExecutive Council.
| Office | Name | Party | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Co-Princes | Joan Enric Vives Sicilia | 12 May 2003 | |
| Emmanuel Macron | En Marche! | 14 May 2017 | |
| Representatives | Josep Maria Mauri[1] | 20 July 2012 | |
| Patrick Strzoda | En Marche! | 14 May 2017 | |
| Prime Minister | Xavier Espot Zamora | Democrats for Andorra | 16 May 2019 |
Andorra's main legislative body is the 28-memberGeneral Council (Parliament). The sindic (president), the subsindic and the members of the Council are elected in the general elections to be held every four years. The Council meets throughout the year on dates set by tradition or as required.
At least one representative from each parish must be present for the General Council to meet. Historically, within the General Council, four deputies apiece from each of the seven parishes have provided representation. This system allowed parishes with as few as 350 voters the same number of representatives as larger parishes with up to 2,600 voters. To reduce this imbalance, a provision in the new constitution modified the structure and format for electing Council members. Under the new format, half of the representatives are chosen by the traditional system, and the other half selected from nationwide lists.
A sindic and a subsindic are chosen by the General Council to implement its decisions. They serve three-year terms and may be reappointed once. They receive an annual salary. Sindics have virtually no discretionary powers, and all policy decisions must be approved by the Council as a whole.
The judicial system is independent. Courts apply thecustomary law of Andorra, supplemented with Roman law and customary Catalan law. Civil cases are first heard by the Court ofBatlles – a group of four judges, two chosen by each co-prince. Appeals are heard in the Court of Appeals. The highest body is the five-memberSuperior Court of Justice.
The last election for theGeneral Council was held on7 April 2019.
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| Party | PR | Constituency | Total seats | +/– | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | ||||
| Democrats for Andorra–United for Progress | 6,248 | 35.13 | 5 | 5,931 | 34.86 | 6 | 11 | +4 | |
| Social Democratic Party of Andorra | 5,445 | 30.62 | 5 | 6,473 | 38.05 | 2 | 7 | +4 | |
| Liberal Party of Andorra | 2,219 | 12.48 | 2 | 2 | 4 | –2 | |||
| Third Way–Lauredian Union | 1,853 | 10.42 | 2 | 2,122 | 12.47 | 2 | 4 | +2 | |
| Social Democracy and Progress | 1,044 | 5.87 | 0 | 1,280 | 7.52 | 0 | 0 | –2 | |
| Sovereign Andorra | 825 | 4.64 | 0 | 71 | 0.42 | 0 | 0 | New | |
| United for the Progress of Andorra | 149 | 0.84 | 0 | – | – | – | 0 | New | |
| Committed Citizens | – | – | – | 1,136 | 6.68 | 2 | 2 | New | |
| Invalid/blank votes | 855 | – | – | 1,611 | – | – | – | – | |
| Total | 18,638 | 100 | 14 | 18,624 | 100 | 14 | 28 | 0 | |
| Registered voters/turnout | 27,278 | 68.33 | – | 27,278 | 68.27 | – | – | – | |
| Source:Elections Andorra | |||||||||
Andorra is formed by sevenparishes (parròquies, singular - parròquia);Andorra la Vella,Canillo,Encamp,La Massana,Escaldes-Engordany,Ordino,Sant Julia de Loria.
The Government of Andorra maintains a small ceremonialArmy, a well-equipped modernizedPolice Corps, aFire Brigade, a Mountain Rescue Service, and theGIPA, which is a para-military unit trained in hostage and counter-terrorism roles.
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Andorra's young democracy is in the process of redefining its political party system. Three out of the five parties that dominated the political scene in past years have dissolved. The Liberal Union (UL) tried to reshape itself and change its name to that of theLiberal Party of Andorra (PLA) to offer a political umbrella to small parties and groups that have not yet found their place. Another party, theSocial Democratic Party of Andorra, has been formed. It was designed to attract parties previously aligned with socialist ideals. Since the 1993 constitutional ratification, three coalition governments have formed. For instance, one government united the UL, the CNA (National Andorran Coalition), and another relatively small party withMarc Forné Molné, a Liberal Unionist, asCap de Govern, or head of government. Inthe 2011 election, however, theDemocrats for Andorra won a landslide victory over the Social Democrats, capturing 20 of the legislature's 28 seats, with the Social Democrats winning six and theLauredian Union winning two.
In recent years the government has instituted many reforms. It legalized political parties andtrade unions, and legally guaranteedfreedom of religion andassembly. There has also been a redefinition of the qualifications for Andorran citizenship, a major issue in a country where only 13,000 of 65,000 residents were legal citizens. In 1995, a law to broaden citizenship was passed, but citizenship remains difficult to acquire. Only Andorran nationals are able to transmit citizenship automatically to their children, a legal principal known asjus sanguinis. Lawful residents in Andorra who are nationals of France, Spain or Portugal may obtain citizenship after 10 years of residency. Other nationals may obtain citizenship after 20 years of residency. Children of residents may opt for Andorran citizenship after age 18 if they resided most of their lives in Andorra. Mere birth on Andorran soil, a legal principal known asjus soli, does not confer citizenship.Dual nationality is not permitted. Non-citizens are allowed to own only a 33% share of a company. Only after residing in the country for 20 years may they own 100% of a company. A proposed law to reduce the necessary years from 20 to 10 was debated in Parliament.
By creating a modern legal framework for the country, the 1993 constitution has allowed Andorra to begin a shift from an economy based largely onduty-free shopping to one based on international banking and finance.[citation needed] Despite promising new changes, it is likely that Andorra will, at least for the short term, continue to confront a number of difficult issues arising from the large influx of foreign residents and the need to develop modern social and political institutions. In addition to questions of Andorran nationality and immigration policy, other priority issues include allowingfreedom of association, dealing with housing scarcities and speculation in real estate, developing the tourism industry, and renegotiating the relationship with theEuropean Union.
