Politics of Spain

Parliamentary democracy was restored following the death of General Franco in 1975, who had ruled since the end of the civil war in 1939. The 1978 constitution established Spain as a parliamentary monarchy, with the Prime Minister responsible to the bicameral Cortes Generales (Cortes) elected every 4 years. On 23 February 1981, rebel elements among the security forces seized the Cortes and tried to impose a military-backed government. However, the great majority of the military forces remained loyal to King Juan Carlos, who used his personal authority to put down the bloodless coup attempt.

Facts

Country name:

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conventional long form:

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Kingdom of Spain

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conventional short form:

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Spain

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local short forms:

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España (Spanish and Galician), Espanya (Catalan), Espainia (Basque), Hespaña (Leonese/Asturian)

Related Topics:
Spanish - Galician - Catalan - Basque - Leonese - Asturian

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Data code:

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SP

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Government type:

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parliamentary monarchy

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Capital:

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Madrid

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Administrative divisions:

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17 autonomous communities (comunidades autónomas, singular - comunidad autónoma); Andalucía (Andalusia), Aragón, Asturias, Illes Balears (Balearic Islands), Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Catalunya (Catalonia), Comunidad Valenciana (Valencia), Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra (Navarre), and País Vasco (Basque Country). Note:

Related Topics:
Autonomous communities - Andalusia - Aragón - Asturias - Balearic Islands - Canary Islands - Catalonia - Valencia - Madrid - Navarre - Basque Country

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There are five places of sovereignty near Morocco: Ceuta and Melilla are administered as autonomous cities, with more powers than cities but fewer than autonomous communities; Islas Chafarinas, Peñón de Alhucemas, and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera are under direct Spanish administration

Related Topics:
Ceuta - Melilla - Islas Chafarinas - Peñón de Alhucemas - Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera

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Independence:

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1492 Conquest of Granada and union of the crowns of Castile and Aragon. But this is a debatable date as conventional as any other one. In fact, each kingdom (Castile, Aragon, Navarre) retained its separate institutions until 1715 (Decreto de Nueva Planta by Philip V of Spain. In 1812, the king Joseph I of Spain, Napoleon Bonaparte's brother, and the French troops of occupation were defeated.

Related Topics:
1492 - 1715 - Decreto de Nueva Planta - Philip V of Spain - 1812 - Joseph I of Spain - Napoleon Bonaparte

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National holiday: National Day, 12 October

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Constitution: Approved in referendum 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978

Related Topics:
6 December - 1978 - 29 December

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Legal system: civil law system, with regional applications; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

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Executive branch:

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Chief of state: King Juan Carlos I (since November 22 1975); Heir Apparent Prince Felipe, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968

Related Topics:
Juan Carlos I - November 22 - 1975 - Felipe - 30 January - 1968

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Head of Government: President of the Government José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (elected 14 March 2004); First Vice President (and Minister of Presidency) María Teresa Fernández de la Vega (elected 14 March 2004) and Second Vice President (and Minister of Economy and Finance) Pedro Solbes (elected 14 March 2004)

Related Topics:
President of the Government - José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero - 14 March - 2004 - First Vice President - Minister of Presidency - María Teresa Fernández de la Vega - Second Vice President - Minister of Economy and Finance - Pedro Solbes

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Cabinet: Council of Ministers (Spanish Consejo de Ministros) designated by the president

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Note: There is also a Council of State that is the supreme consultative organ of the government

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Elections: The monarch is hereditary, following the rule of Castilian Siete Partidas: the elder son is preferred to the elder daughter; president of the government (prime minister) proposed by the monarch and elected by the National Assembly following legislative elections; election last held 14 March 2004; vice presidents appointed by the monarch on proposal of the president

Related Topics:
Castilian - Siete Partidas - 14 March - 2004

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election results:

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José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (PSOE) elected president of the government (prime minister)

Related Topics:
PSOE - President of the government (prime minister)

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Legislative branch:

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bicameral; General Courts or National Assembly or las Cortes Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (259 seats - 208 members directly elected by popular vote and the other 51 appointed by the regional legislatures to serve four-year terms) and the Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; members are elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

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elections:

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Senate - last held 14 March 2004; Congress of Deputies - last held 14 March 2004

Related Topics:
14 March - 2004

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election results: see Spanish legislative election, 2004

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Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo. See also Audiencia Nacional.

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Political parties and leaders:

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Main article: List of political parties in Spain

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People's Party or PP (Mariano Rajoy Brey);

Related Topics:
People's Party - Mariano Rajoy Brey

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Spanish Communist Party or PCE (Francisco Frutos)

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Spanish Socialist Workers' Party or PSOE (José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, secretary general)

Related Topics:
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party - José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero

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United Left or IU (a coalition of parties including the PCE and other small parties) (Gaspar Llamazares)

Related Topics:
United Left - Gaspar Llamazares

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Basque Nationalist Party or PNV (Joseba Eguibar)

Related Topics:
Basque Nationalist Party - Joseba Eguibar

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Canarian Coalition or CC (a coalition of five parties) (Lorenzo Olarte Cullen)

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Convergence and Union or CiU (Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida, secretary general) (a coalition of the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia or CDC and the Democratic Union of Catalonia or UDC (Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida))

Related Topics:
Convergence and Union - Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida - CDC - UDC

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Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG (Anxo Quintana González);

Related Topics:
BNG - Anxo Quintana González

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Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya or ERC (Josep-Lluís Carod-Rovira)

Related Topics:
Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya - Josep-Lluís Carod-Rovira

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Iniciativa per Catalunya or IC (a coalition of PSUC and other parties) (Joan Saura); Basque Solidarity Eusko Alkartasuna or EA (Begoña Errazti); Aragonese Council, Chunta Aragonesista or CHA) (José Antonio Labordeta).

Related Topics:
Joan Saura - Eusko Alkartasuna - Begoña Errazti - Aragonese Council - José Antonio Labordeta

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Political pressure groups and leaders:

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• Business and landowning interests;
• Free labor unions (authorized in April 1977, which meant the legalisation of previous clandestine unions and the creation of new ones). The most powerful unions are the Workers' Commissions or CC.OO. and the Socialist General Union of Workers or UGT. There are many others, in which workers unionize according to their trade or their ideology: Workers Syndical Union or USO, Solidarity of Basque Workers (ELA, Basque), Galician Inter-Unions Confederation (CIG, Galician).
• Catholic Church and Opus Dei campaign to influence governments' policies.
• Basque Fatherland and Liberty or ETA and the First of October Antifascist Resistance Group or GRAPO use terrorism to oppose the government.

International organization participation:

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AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, Zangger Committee

Related Topics:
ICC - ICC - Interpol - Zangger Committee

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Flag description: Three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band. The coat of arms includes the royal seal framed by the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar

Related Topics:
Pillars of Hercules - Gibraltar - Strait of Gibraltar

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:See also : Spain

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