Andorra Unitary state

History and trends

Andorra is a parliamentary state. In fact it is a parliamentary co-principality that, uniquely, has two heads of state:

– the French co-prince of Andorra (the President of France)

– the episcopal co-prince of Andorra (the Bishop of Urgell, a town located 10 km from the Spanish-Andorran border).

Its constitution was adopted on 14 March 1993. The General Council is the legislative body and the Government of Andorra is the executive branch.

The territory of Andorra was variously disputed by the Counts of Urgell, the Bishops of Urgell and the Viscounts of Castelbon then later, in the 12th century by the Counts of Foix. In 1278, a feudal treaty (pariage) established Andorra’s administrative and judicial system, inspired by the feudal model.

The country subsequently came under the dual suzerainty of the Bishop of Urgell and the Count of Foix, whose titles passed to the French monarchy in 1607. In 1806, Napoleon I established official relations between France and Andorra, under which France had a permanent representative.

The rights of the two co-princes (the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell) have remained uncodified since 1278, which has led to a series of problems.

Each of Andorra’s seven parishes has a council comprising two mayors and four councillors elected by the heads of family. The General Council elects the public prosecutor (Syndic Général des Vallées), who exercised executive power until 1982, and a vice-syndic.

Each co-prince appoints: a viguier who exercises judicial power and acts as the intermediary between the co-prince and the syndic, and a baile. The baile has first-level jurisdiction over civil matters. Appeals are heard by an appeals judge, who is appointed for life by the co-princes on an alternating basis.

A second appeal may be lodged with either co-prince, as chosen by the first party to act. In France, cases are heard by a high court created in 1884, having its seat in Perpignan and presided by the President.

A series of institutional reforms were instigated in 1982, following approval by the public in a consultation process in 1977. For the first time in Andorra’s history, a prime minister was elected (Òscar Ribas Reig).

In March 1993, the Principality of Andorra became an independent state after the new constitution was adopted following a convincing vote in favour at a referendum. The new state was recognised by the international community and joined the United Nations on 27 July 1993. The suzerainty, which had existed since the 13th century, was abolished and the co-princes (the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell) now play a purely ceremonial role.

The first legislative elections by universal suffrage were held in December 1993. Andorra has been a member of the United Nations since 1993. It is also a member of the Council of Europe but not of the European Union.