The issue of power distribution in Spain is becoming increasingly pressing. For people in the regions, the consequences are clear: key decisions are made in Madrid, while development opportunities at the local level are shrinking. This trend affects the economy, culture, and even the daily lives of millions of Spaniards.
Journalist Salvador Enguix’s book raises uncomfortable questions about why the promised decentralization never became a reality. The author does not assign blame outright, but thoroughly examines how historical factors and current mechanisms lead to power and resources concentrating in the capital. The model envisioned in 1978 aimed for balanced distribution of influence, but in practice, the outcome has been different.
Spain is formally a country with autonomous regions, yet true federalism has never materialized. The book details how crucial decisions in finance, regulation, and culture are consistently made by the same central bodies. This creates the illusion that such centralization is an inherent part of the system, rather than the result of specific political processes.
Madrid as the invisible center
Special attention is given to the role of Madrid, which has long ceased to be merely an administrative capital. The city has turned into an unofficial federal district, concentrating ministries, regulators, major corporations, and media empires. This is where the main streams of influence are formed, rarely leaving the capital. It’s not a conspiracy, but rather the logic of a system that sustains and strengthens itself.
One of the book’s key terms is ‘invisible infrastructure.’ This refers not to roads or railways, but to networks of influence, investment flows, and informal connections. It is these hidden mechanisms that explain why regions are often left out of important discussions and decisions shaping the country’s future.
Using the example of the Comunitat Valenciana, the author shows how even large and economically developed regions gradually lose real influence. The reason lies not only in a lack of initiative, but also in the fact that the rules of the game are unequal from the start. Those who are not part of the circles of central power find themselves at a knowingly disadvantage.
Loss of opportunities
To advance in politics, business, science, or media, moving to the capital is increasingly necessary. Talented professionals and leaders leave their regions seeking success, turning their hometowns into merely transit spaces. Inner Spain and the urban outskirts are losing not only population but also their ability to influence decisions that affect them.
Even digitalization, which promised to break down barriers and give everyone a voice, has ultimately only strengthened the old centers of influence. Cultural and intellectual life, the shaping of the public agenda, and information flows remain concentrated in Madrid. Other regions are forced to compete on unequal terms, and their voices often go unnoticed.
The book emphasizes that the problem lies less in geography and more in the power structure. The question of whether ‘Valencian power’ (poder valenciano) truly exists remains open: was it ever real, or is it merely a myth maintained for the sake of comfort?
Federation without substance
One of the book’s most hard-hitting chapters analyzes the prospects for genuine federalism in Spain. The author does not offer easy solutions, instead comparing different approaches and highlighting the need for deep reform. Without a tax system overhaul, real redistribution of institutions, and an update to the principles of cooperation, federalism will remain just an attractive label.
Enguix’s work does not close the discussion; on the contrary, it broadens its scope. The silence of the regions is not a lack of opinion, but a consequence of a power architecture that is always directed one way. Influence flows from the center to the periphery, but hardly ever in reverse.
In recent years, the issue of centralizing power in Spain has repeatedly sparked heated debate. After the 2018 reform, which introduced new mechanisms for distributing authority, many regions anticipated real change but ran into familiar barriers. Similar trends have been observed in other European countries, where capitals are strengthening their influence at the expense of the regions. In Spain, this conflict is intensifying amid economic challenges and growing discontent in the autonomous communities. The question of balancing power between the center and the regions remains unresolved and demands new solutions.
