Argentina, Australia and France featured in RTD on federalism
The UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (CIDS) hosted the fourth installment of the “Federalism: Facts, Myths, Opportunities, and Challenges,” a series of round table discussions, and featured the political systems of Argentina, Australia, and France at the Executive House in UP Diliman last September 8, 2016.
Ambassador Roberto Bosch presented the motivations behind federalization of Argentina and the various aspects and features of federalism in the Latin American country, such as coparticipación federal (joint participation), a system that puts forward a balanced distribution of taxes. Another highlight from the Argentinian presentation is the enumeration of powers of the independent federal powers, namely preserved by the provinces, delegated to the Federal Government, concurrent, shared, exceptional, and forbidden.
Ms. Georgia Lovell, representing the Australian Embassy, shared the features of the Australian federal government like its powers and fiscal arrangements, among others. In concluding her presentation, Lovell stated that remembering the end goals is important and that a constitution, especially in its formation, must represent the country’s proud history but also encapsulate the hopes for the future.
Though France is not a federal nation, Mr. Laurent Legodec of the French Embassy participated in the discussion by shedding light on France’s constitution, which he described as a hybrid and flexible one that sufficiently maintains checks and balances. Also notable in the French presentation is the observance of the subsidiarity principle in the decentralization of France, where “social and political issues are dealt with at the most immediate level that is consistent with their resolution.”
Guests from UP, government institutions, and civil society groups engaged the speakers through questions on symmetry and asymmetry, local government codes, conflict resolution, creation of territories, and power limitation.
The round table discussions aims to take a closer look on different models of federalist systems to assist in making sound and prudent decisions with regard to Philippine governance. To read about the past discussions, click on the corresponding links below:
RTD 1: Germany and India
RTD 2: Switzerland
RTD 3: Spain
