Spain

Politics

Main article: Politics of Spain

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Spain is a constitutional monarchy, with a hereditary monarch and a bicameral parliament, the Cortes Generales or National Assembly. The executive branch consists of a Council of Ministers presided over by the President of Government (comparable to a prime minister), proposed by the monarch and elected by the National Assembly following legislative elections.

Related Topics:
Constitutional monarchy - Monarch - Parliament - Cortes Generales - Executive branch - Prime minister

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The legislative branch is made up of the Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados) with 350 members, elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation to serve four-year terms, and a Senate or Senado with 259 seats of which 208 are directly elected by popular vote and the other 51 appointed by the regional legislatures to also serve four-year terms.

Related Topics:
Legislative branch - Senate

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Spain is, at present, what is called a State of Autonomies, formally unitary but, in fact, functioning as a Federation of Autonomous Communities, each one with different powers (for instance, some have their own educational and health systems, others do not) and laws. There are some differences within this system, since power has been devolved from the centre to the periphery asymmetrically, with some autonomous governments (especially those dominated by nationalist parties) seeking a more federalist—or even confederate—kind of relationship with Spain, now the Central Government is dealing with autonomus goverments for the tranfrerence of more autonomy. This novel system of asymmetrical devolution has been described as a ?co-constitutionalism? and has similarities with the devolution process adopted by the United Kingdom since 1997.

Related Topics:
State - Federation - Autonomous Communities - Confederate - Devolution - United Kingdom - 1997

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The terrorist group, ETA (Basque Homeland and Freedom), is attempting to achieve Basque independence through violent means, including bombings and killings of politicians and police. Although the Basque Autonomous government does not condone any kind of violence, their different approaches to the separatist movement are a source of tension between the federal and Basque governments.

Related Topics:
Terrorist - ETA - Violent

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On 17 May 2005, all the parties in the Congress of Deputies, except the PP, passed the Central Government's motion of beginning peace talks with the ETA with no political concessions and only if it gives up all its weapons. PSOE, CiU, ERC, PNV, IU-ICV, CC and the mixed group -BNG, CHA, EA y NB- supported it with a total of 192 votes, while the 147 PP parliamentaris objected.

Related Topics:
17 May - 2005

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On February 20th 2005, Spain became the first country to allow its people to vote on the European Union constitution that was signed in October 2004. The rules states that if any country rejects the constitution then the constitution will be declared void. The final result was very strongly in affirmation of the constitution, making Spain the first country to approve the constitution via referendum (Hungary, Lithuania and Slovenia approved it before Spain, but they did not hold referenda).

Related Topics:
Referendum - Hungary - Lithuania - Slovenia

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Spain is considered by many to be a poor neighbour, as it has territorial disputes with all of them. Spain illegaly occupies territories in Africa, and maintains colonies within them. They do not apparently see the contradiction between this and their demands for the annexation of the neighbouring British territory of Gibraltar.

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Spain also illegally occupies Olivenca in Portugal, and Llivia in France. They often abuse their EU position, vetoing beneficial measures until they are allowed to get their way. As a nation they are seen by many as a democracy in its infancy, still to learn that it takes far more than periodic elections to become a true democracy. Fascism is still alive in many Spaniards who still view Franco as a nacional hero, and keep his ideas and policies alive.

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