Who runs local government in Andorra?

Andorra is divided into seven parishes (parròquies), each governed by an elected comú (parish council) with wide powers and its own taxes. Parishes are older than the modern state and are built into the national Parliament: half its seats are elected parish by parish. The Council of Europe judged in 2024 that local self-government works well.

Principality of Andorra · Unitary parliamentary co-principality · Southern Europe

The levels of government below the nation

Level	How it is chosen	What it does
Parishes (parròquies, 7): Canillo, Encamp, Ordino, La Massana, Andorra la Vella, Sant Julià de Lòria, Escaldes-Engordany	Comú councillors elected every four years (last December 2023); the council chooses the cònsol major (mayor) and cònsol menor (deputy) from the winning list	Local planning, roads, culture and sport, local taxes and fees, census; powers set by the 1993 Qualified Law on the powers of the comuns.
Traditional subdivisions (quarts, veïnats) in some parishes	Varies by parish custom	Historic neighbourhood or village units, today mainly for local community life and some shared property.

Three questions about local power in Andorra

Are local leaders elected?

Comú councillors are elected by Andorran citizens; the cònsols are chosen from the winning list. The co-princes are not elected by Andorrans.

Which laws set up local government?

Article 79 of the 1993 Constitution recognises the comuns and their self-government; qualified laws set powers and finances. Quarts and veïnats work largely by custom.

Who are local leaders accountable to?

Voters; the Constitutional Court settles disputes between parishes and the state; parish accounts are audited by the Court of Auditors (Tribunal de Comptes).

Traditional and customary authority

The heads of state are two co-princes: the Bishop of Urgell (in Spain) and the President of France, an arrangement dating from 1278. They have no role in parish government. The parishes' own long tradition of self-rule is recognised in the Constitution, which says the comuns act 'subject to the Constitution, the law and tradition'.

Community and neighbourhood power

The Reunió de cònsols, a regular meeting of the seven parishes' mayors and deputy mayors held 'since time immemorial', now has a legal framework and acts as a forum between parishes and with the government. Residents' associations are informal.

Points to know

Of the 28 members of the Consell General (parliament), 14 are elected two per parish and 14 from a national list.
Three comuns acting together can propose a law to Parliament.
The Council of Europe (2024) recommended special status for the capital, Andorra la Vella, and written rules for consulting the parishes.
Only Andorran nationals, a minority of residents, can vote.

Local terms

Comú: The elected council that governs a parish.
Cònsol major: The head of a comú, similar to a mayor.
Quart / veïnat: A traditional neighbourhood or village subdivision of a parish.

Sources

Constitution of Andorra (1993), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
Consell General (Parliament of Andorra), Consell General d'Andorra, checked 14 October 2026
Andorra: monitoring of the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Recommendation 505 (2024)), Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (CARTA-MONITOR), checked 14 October 2026