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The initiative for constitutional amendment is the entry to the constituent process. Its importance is one of fundamental nature, more so in a multinational State. Indeed, in such a context, the various segments of a fragmented society should all be able to initiate the constitutional process, this ability then being synonymous with an ability to initiate a dialogue between nations. Spain and Canada are both examples of multinational States in which we find a rigid Constitution with defined mechanisms of constitutional initiative. Comparison of these initiative procedures will highlight the ways in which the Canadian and Spanish States either respect the spirit of the constituent pact or rationalize its effects, with the consequences of directly impacting the constitutional initiative power in Quebec and in Catalonia. More globally, this research will also put in perspective the position of the Canadian and Spanish political elites about the initiative of the constitutional revision in the broader context of their consideration of minority nations claims within the multinational State. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]