Ever looked at a map of Europe and wondered how a tiny speck between France and Spain manages to exist without being swallowed whole? Honestly, the answer is weirder than you think. It involves a 700-year-old legal loophole that makes the President of France a literal prince—but only on weekends, and only in a country that isn't France.
The co prince of andorra setup is the world's only remaining "diarchy." That’s a fancy way of saying the country has two bosses. But these aren't just any two guys. One is the sitting President of France, currently Emmanuel Macron. The other is a Catholic Bishop from a small town in Spain.
If that sounds like the setup for a medieval joke, you’re not far off.
How a 13th-Century Beef Created a Modern Microstate
To understand why Andorra has two princes, you have to go back to 1278. Basically, the Bishop of Urgell and the Count of Foix were constantly at each other's throats over who actually owned the valley. Instead of fighting another war, they signed a "Pareage." This was essentially a "fine, we’ll both have it" agreement.
Fast forward through history. The Count of Foix’s rights eventually got passed up the line to the Kings of France. When France stopped having kings and started having presidents, the title just... stuck.
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Today, that same 1278 agreement is the reason Emmanuel Macron has a side hustle as a prince. As of 2026, his partner in this strange arrangement is Bishop Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat, who took over the role in May 2025 following the retirement of long-time bishop Joan-Enric Vives i Sicília.
Does the Co Prince of Andorra actually do anything?
You'd think being a prince comes with a crown and a scepter, but in Andorra, it’s mostly paperwork. Before 1993, the princes had a lot of power. Now, they are "constitutional heads of state."
- Treaty Power: They have a huge say in international security and borders.
- The Veto: They can’t technically veto a law passed by the Andorran parliament, but if both of them refuse to sign it, the law gets stuck in a weird legal limbo.
- Judicial Appointments: They each get to pick members of the High Court.
- Pardons: They still hold the "prerogative of grace," which is basically a get-out-of-jail-free card they can issue.
It’s a bizarre mix of medieval tradition and 21st-century democracy. For example, the French President is the only person in the world who is a monarch (in Andorra) because he was democratically elected (in France).
The Tensions Nobody Talks About
Being a co prince of andorra isn't always smooth sailing. There’s a massive elephant in the room: abortion.
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Andorra is one of the last places in Europe where abortion is strictly illegal. Why? Because one of the princes is a Catholic Bishop. Under Church law, the Bishop cannot sign a law that permits abortion. If he did, he’d likely have to resign his religious post.
This creates a massive headache for the French Co-Prince. The President of France usually represents a secular, pro-choice country. For years, there has been pressure on Macron to "fix" this, but if he acts alone, he breaks the 700-year-old balance that keeps Andorra stable.
Some locals think the whole system is an anachronism. It’s a bit weird to have your heads of state live in different countries, right? But most Andorrans are actually pretty protective of the system. Having the French President as your "prince" gives a tiny country of 80,000 people a massive amount of diplomatic weight.
What Happens if the System Breaks?
If Andorra ever decided to become a republic and ditch the princes, they’d lose more than just a cool trivia fact. The princes are the ultimate guarantors of Andorran independence. Without them, there's a historical argument that the land should just be split between Spain and France.
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The Bishop provides the cultural and religious link to the Catalan roots of the people. The French President provides the "big brother" protection on the global stage.
Actionable Insights for Travelers and History Buffs
If you're planning to visit or just want to sound smart at a dinner party, keep these facts in mind about the co prince of andorra and the country itself:
- Visit the Casa de la Vall: This is the historic parliament building in Andorra la Vella. It’s where the "Key of the Seven Chests" is kept—a literal wooden chest that required seven different keys from seven different parishes to open.
- The Questia: Historically, Andorrans paid a tribute called the questia to the princes. To France, they sent things like hams and chickens. To the Bishop, they sent money. While it's largely symbolic now, the tradition of "paying the prince" still exists in the budget.
- Check the News in May: Since the new Bishop, Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat, is relatively new to the role (started 2025), keep an eye on how his relationship with Macron evolves. Any shift in their joint statements usually signals a change in Andorra’s strict social laws.
The co-principality is a living fossil. It shouldn't work in 2026, but somehow, it does. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the weirdest solutions are the ones that last the longest.
To stay updated on Andorran politics or the specific decrees issued by the Co-Princes, the best resource is the Butlletí Oficial del Principat d'Andorra (BOPA), which is the official government gazette where all princely decisions are legally recorded.