Andorra: Notes

Constitutional Origins

The Principat d'Andorra (Principality of Andorra) has been headed since 1278 by two coprínceps (co-princes). One of these co-princes is the Bisbe de la Seu d'Urgell (Bishop of Urgel) - here referred to as the "episcopal" co-prince; the other, here referred to as the "lay" co-prince, was originally the comte de Foix (Count of Foix), the office descending by heredity and later by official succession to the French head of state.

The co-princes are described in the Constitució del Principat d'Andorra (Constitution of the Principality of Andorra) as follows:

Article 43.

1. D'acord amb la tradició institucional d'Andorra els copínceps són, conjuntament i indivisa, el Cap dé l'Estat, i n'assumeixen la representació més alta.

2. Els Coprínceps, institució sorgida dels Pareatges i de la seva evolució histórica <...>

Article 49.

En cas de vacança d'un dels Coprínceps la present Constitució reconeix la validesa dels mecanismes de substitució previstos en els seus ordinaments respectius, a fi que no s'interrompi el funcionament normal de les institucions andorranes.

Translation:

Article 43.

1. In accordance with the institutional tradition of Andorra, the Co-princes are, jointly and indivisibly, the Head of State, and they assume its highest representation.

2. The Co-princes, an institution which dates from the Pareatges and their historical evolution <...>

Article 49.

In case of the vacancy of one of the Co-princes the present Constitution recognises the validity of the mechanisms of substitution provided for in their respective legal systems, so as not to interrupt the normal functioning of the Andorran institutions.

Although the cited provisions were enacted 28 Apr 1993, they reproduce faithfully the arrangements in place since 8 Sep 1278, the date of the "first" Pareatge, in which the bisbe (bishop), who had been the liege lord of the Vals d'Andorra, agreed with his (nominal) vassal, the comte de Foix, on full feudal parity.

Historical Development

From 8 Sep 1278 until 20 Oct 1620, the incumbent Comte/Comtessa de Foix was the "lay" co-prince. The Comtes de Foix accumulated numerous titles, but the following facts are relevant: as Comte/Comtessa de Foix, the incumbent was a vassal of the Rei de Francia; he/she, however, acceded to the following sovereign titles:

• Vescomte/Vescomtessa de Bearn [Français: Béarn], from 26 Apr 1290
• Rei/Reina de Navarra, from 12 Feb 1479
• Rei de Francia, from 2 Aug 1589

Louis XIII of France (Lluís) had the Consell Sobirà of Navarra register, in his royal presence at Pau on 20 Oct 1620, the Édit d'octobre 1620, according to which Navarra and Bearn were effectively incorporated under the Crown of France. The estates of Bearn, in whose sovereignty the office of the "lay" co-prince was vested, when required to register the édit, procrastinated and actually never fully accepted it.

The preceding remark notwithstanding, it seems reasonable to regard the office of "lay" co-prince to be, from 20 Oct 1620, vested in the person who is, for the time being, the Head of State of France - an arrangement that, with the vicissitudes to be described, continues to this day.

Upon the extinction of the French royalty in 1792, it appears that the Andorran Consell regarded the office of "lay" co-prince to be vested in La Republica Francesa; consequent to this interpretation, the Consell attemtpted, at a date in 1793 to deliver the traditional tribute to the Préfet of the recently created département of Ariège (in which the commune of Foix is situated) as local representative of the copríncep. The tribute was rejected, in the context of the abolition of feudal rights. The office of "lay" co-prince lapsed as a consequence.

On 27 Mar 1806, Napoléon I^er issued a Décret Impérial, restoring (without explicit mention of the status of co-prince, and with only a tangential reference to the bisbe d'Urgell and his viguer) the functioning of the machinery of the "French co-principality".

The annexation to France of the Principality of Catalonia, including Andorra, was effected by a Décret Impérial of 26 Jan 1812. This Décret was never ratified by a sénatus-consulte organique nor published at the time in the BULLETIN DES LOIS DE L'EMPIRE FRANÇAIS; nevertheless, it was mentioned in the décret of 1813, annexing the Vallée d'Aran to the département of Haute-Garonne. The date of the de iure end of the annexation is debatable. A reasonable choice is 30 May 1814, date of the Treaty of Paris, which definitely deprived France of all its trans-Pyrenean aquisitions.

From the date just cited until today, the office of the "lay" co-prince has remained vested in the person who is the Cap de l'Estat de Francia (Head of State of France). The Constitution that came into effect on 4 May 1993 specifically defines the holder of the office as President de la Republica Francesa, but allows the provisions currently in effect for an acting holder of the office to serve.