COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT TOOLS OF STATE POLICY TO MITIGATE REGIONAL INEQUALITY IN RUSSIA AND SPAIN

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to identify and compare tools to mitigate regional socio-economic inequalities used in Russia and Spain. Despite the significant differences between Russia and Spain in many aspects of statehood, the problem of regional inequality occupies a central position in each of the countries. When conducting the analysis, the features of state structure of countries were taken into account. In the course of the study, on the basis of the comparative method, both general tools specific to both states and special policy instruments to mitigate the regional inequality of each country were identified.The authors adhere to the position that state is the main actor in the policy of mitigating inequality, therefore, they consider state tools (administrative, legal, economic, social). Similar tools include: the principle of classifying regions according to their level of development, for priority financing of the most lagging; improving the system of relations between the center and the regions; system of distribution of budget funds from the center to the regions; creating favorable conditions for intensifying the processes of forming entrepreneurial and innovative activities, and others. A number of special tools are highlighted. Their peculiarity is determined by the specifics of the context of each country, the presence of special problems inherent in a particular state. As an example, we consider the development tools of the Far North in Russia and the solution of the problems of unemployment and gender inequality in the labor market in Spain.