ON THE TERRITORIAL DISTRIBUTION OF POWER IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

This article presents a brief overview of several legal aspects of the territorial organization of European states, arguing that the European Union principles favour the processes of decentralization, while the recent economic crisis weakens the various systems of local autonomy. For this purpose, it first reviews the theoretical traditions and the many conceptual nuances related to the puzzle of territorial organization of States. Then, it discusses how these different traditions translate into constitutional arrangements and how these arrangements evolved throughout Europe during the 20th century. Finally, it addresses the issue of the relations between centre and periphery in the context of the recent economic crisis, showing how legal arrangements in matters related to the territorial organization of States are both influenced and influencing fiscal policies and the states' ability to face sudden fluctuations in local, national and international economy.