Andorra · 30 years of coming of age at 18

In 1985, Andorra was not yet a constitutional democracy in its present form. The political system was based on traditional legal rules and individual reform laws. The heads of state were—as they still are today—the two co-princes: the Bishop of Urgell and the French head of state. The legislative representative body was the General Council, whose Catalan name is “Consell General”. It was only with the 1993 Constitution that the state institutions were comprehensively reorganized and Andorra was declared a parliamentary co-principality.

Suffrage had been gradually expanded during the 20th century. Universal male suffrage was introduced in 1933. Women were granted the right to vote in 1970 and, a few years later, also the right to stand for political office. The 1985 reform should therefore not be equated with the first introduction of women’s suffrage. Rather, it lowered the previously higher age of legal majority and included young women and men equally in the corresponding political rights.

Attaining the age of majority entails the capacity to act independently in legal matters and to make decisions without the consent of parents or a guardian. In the political sphere, the age limit particularly concerned participation in elections. Its reduction thus extended the electorate to include younger age groups and brought Andorran law into line with an age limit that had already become established in numerous European states at the time.

The anniversary was suitable as a coin theme because it addresses two interconnected developments: the legal independence of young people and their inclusion in the political decision-making process. At the same time, it points to Andorra’s long-term transformation from a community shaped by traditional rules into a state with codified civil rights and constitutionally regulated democratic institutions. Despite not being a member of the European Union, Andorra is permitted to issue its own euro coins under a monetary agreement.