Inter-municipal integration as an alternative to make viable municipal autonomy in Mendoza (Argentina)

Abstract

Since the reform of the National Constitution in 1994, Argentinian provinces must recognize municipal autonomy in their constitutions in the institutional, political, administrative and economic order. More than twenty years after the reform was instituted, some provinces continue to violate the Constitution, which has led to unfortunate consequences for local governments. This paper focuses on the case of Mendoza, making note of the need to promote a comprehensive reform of the municipal regime that includes the recognition of the municipal constituent power and guarantees the right to inter-municipal association. Based on these developments, it reflects on the most relevant legal restrictions that hinder the implementation of inter-municipal partnership projects, for the purposes of determining the degree of autonomy that municipalities actually hold in the province and to suggest criteria for the strengthening of the institutional capacity of local governments in Mendoza.