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Andorra Constitution

The Constitution of 1993 reduced the power of the Co-Princes and vested it in the Andorran people under a democratically elected parliament called the Consell General. The most important aspects of this change were:

Freedom of speech
Freedom of religious belief
Declaration of human rights
Abolition of the death penalty
The right to form Unions
Recognition of civil marriages
Free creation of political parties

Following its approval the first elections under the Constitution were held and the constitutional court now sits to hear disputes as to the interpretation and implementation of the Constitution.

Further details on the political structure of Andorra can found by clicking HERE

Andorra History

Archeological remains show that Andorra was inhabited as long ago as 8,000 to 9,000 B.C. Many of the names of towns indicate the ancient language to be of Ibericbasc origen, however, the invasion of the Iberian peninsula by the Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths, Moors and Francs have undoubtedly left their mark on the people and the language.

In the middle ages the war lords in the adjacent countryside used Andorra as a pawn in their power games. After the expulsion of the Moors at the end of the 8th century the country came under the influence of the Count of the city of La Seu d'Urgell. In the 10th century the Count transferred his rights, which did not cover the whole of Andorra, over to the Bishop of Urgell. However, there were other nobles claiming rights over Andorran territory namely the Count of Caboet and Viscount of Castellbò, in what is now Spain, and the Count of Foix in France. In the 12th and 13th centuries the feuding finally led to the treaties of the Pariatges in 1278 and 1288. Following these treaties until the present day Andorra became a Co-Principality with the Count of Foix and the Bishop of Urgell as the titular heads of state. Following the French revolution the title of the Count of Foix passed to the French state represented today by the President of France.

This unique situation has resulted in 700 years of uninterrupted peace in the valleys of Andorra.

In 1993, following a referendum, the Andorrans voted in a new constitution which maintains the Co-Princes as head of state but limits their powers which are now vested in the Andorran people under a democratically elected parliament called the Consell General.