RT info:eu-repo/semantics/bookPart T1 Intermunicipal Cooperation A1 Méndez Juez, Marta K1 Cooperation K1 Collaboration K1 Local government K1 Governance K1 Governmental relations K1 Interadministrative relations K1 Municipality K1 Reform K1 County K1 Política K1 Political science K1 España-Política y gobierno K1 Spain-Politics and government K1 España-Administración pública K1 Spain-Public administration AB Cooperation and intermunicipalism are two essential concepts in the study of the currentreality of local governments in Spain. Taking into account the complex territorial organization of thestate and analyzing the current political-administrative framework, it is increasingly necessary to findmechanisms for intergovernmental and administrative relations that allow us to respond to the needsof citizens with greater dynamism. The traditional "subjective" analysis, in which each municipalityrepresents a unit that manages the common good in a grouped manner, has been left behind and new"functional" formulas are imposed, in which these municipalities no longer work in isolation, but inrelation to others based on criteria of necessity and opportunity. Moreover, this intermunicipalcooperation can take place in a variety of forms, types and legal regulations. The chapter analyzes itsviability in light of the major systemic challenges that occur at this level of government, such as thehyperfragmentation and dispersion of local government, the chronic insufficiency of local entities toensure the provision of their public services after multiple legal reforms, and the social commitmentsthat are established in a context of multilevel governance. It lists some of the political challenges posedby inter-municipal cooperation formulas such as the opacity of their structures, the dilution of politicalresponsibility for the management of public services or the lack of direct democratic legitimacy, amongothers. The chapter ends with some recommendations on how these relations can be addressed fromour institutional framework, with special reference to the geographical and demographic problemsderived from the configuration of the Spanish local structure. PB Springer SN 2524-5449 YR 2022 FD 2022-11 LK http://hdl.handle.net/10259/10351 UL http://hdl.handle.net/10259/10351 LA eng DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Burgos RD 29-mar-2025