ABSTRACT
This chapter takes an in-depth look at the local government systems of four countries – France, Italy, Portugal and Spain – that are often grouped together for the purposes of analysis. Yet, while they share certain characteristics, they also present their own unique features. Indeed, the factors we examine serve to highlight their respective similarities and differences. We begin by examining the morphology of their municipal maps, documenting the size and number of municipal entities, and monitoring trends towards the greater fragmentation or consolidation of these maps. This is followed by a description of local electoral systems and the position of the mayor, clear indicators of the political nature of these institutions. We complete this analysis by examining the position of the respective local governments within their broader administrative systems, and compare the functions with those undertaken by their Northern European counterparts. To conclude, we examine the notion of community and the relevance of a sense of identity in the evolution of local government in these four countries. In short, an analysis of these factors – the municipal morphology, political features, institutional position and the local community/identity binomial – shed considerable light on the operation of local government systems in Southern Europe.
