La remunicipalización de la gestión del agua en España: barreras legales frente a narrativas exitosas

Abstract

As a result of the austerity policies applied in Europe after the global economic crisis, some of the New Public Management proposals were reactivated, particularly the outsourcing of public services. Given the negative and unforeseen consequences, observed in many cases after its implementation, a set of opposite reforms emerged as the economic situation improved. Re-municipalization strategies or return to public hands of previously privatized or outsourced services appear, especially at the municipal level. However, in countries like Spain, there is a gap between the abundance of political speeches that support re-municipalization and the low effectiveness of these reforms. Taking water management as a case of empirical analysis, this work deepens in these processes, questioning their scope, trajectory and the reasons of the gap.