The
President of the Government of Spain (
SpanishSpanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...
:
Presidente del Gobierno de España), usually known in English as the
Prime Minister of Spain, is the Spanish
head of governmentHead of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled Prime Minister, President of the Government, Premier, etc...
. The King of Spain nominates a candidate for the presidency who stands before the Congress of Deputies for a Vote of Confidence, effectively an
indirect electionIndirect election is a process in which voters in an election don't actually choose between candidates for an office but rather elect persons who will then make the choice. It is one of the oldest form of elections and is still used today for many upper houses and presidents...
of the head of government by the elected Congressional delegates.
Once confirmed by the Congress, the king officially appoints the candidate as President of the Government (Prime Minister). By
political customAlternative meaning: Constitutional convention A constitutional convention is an informal and uncodified procedural agreement that is followed by the institutions of a state...
established by King Juan Carlos since the ratification of the 1978 Constitution, the king's nominees have all been from parties who maintain a plurality of seats in the Congress.
The current office is established under the
Constitution of 1978The Constitution of Spain is regarded as the culmination of the Spanish transition to democracy. It was enacted after a referendum on 6 December 1978 after approval by 88% of voters.-Origins:...
. It is presently occupied by
José Luis Rodríguez ZapateroJosé Luis Rodríguez Zapatero , better known by his maternal surname Zapatero or ZP, is the current President of the Government of Spain...
.
Official title
The Spanish head of government is known, in Spanish, as the
Presidente del Gobierno. Literally translated, the title is "President of the Government" or alternatively "Chairman of the Government", but nevertheless the office-holder is commonly referred to in English as the "
prime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. The position is usually held by, but need not always be held by, a politician. In many systems, the prime minister selects and can dismiss other members of the cabinet, and...
", the usual term for the head of government in a
parliamentary systemA parliamentary system is a system of government where in the ministers of the executive branch are drawn from the legislature, and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined...
. However the Spanish for 'prime minister' is
primer ministro; thus, for example, the
Prime Minister of the United KingdomThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom and the Head of Her Majesty's Government...
is the
Primer Ministro del Reino Unido, not the
Presidente del Gobierno.
In Spain the head of the government is often called simply
Presidente, meaning 'President'. More than once this has caused embarrassing errors among foreign authorities, such as mistaking Spain for a republic. For example
Jeb BushJohn Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the younger brother of former President George W. Bush; the older brother of Neil Bush, Marvin Bush and Dorothy Bush Koch; and the second son of former President...
, the Governor of Florida, mistakenly referred to the head of government as the "President of the Spanish Republic" during a visit to Spain in 2003.
The custom to name the head of government as "President" dates back to the reign of
Isabella II of SpainIsabella II was Queen regnant of Spain She was Spain's first and so far only queen regnant, although she is sometimes considered the third Queen Regnant of Spain, as previous monarchs of Leon and Castile were counted...
, when the official title was
Presidente del Consejo de Ministros ("President of the Council of Ministers")). Before 1833 the figure was known as
Secretario de Estado ("Secretary of State"), a denomination used today for
junior ministerJunior ministers are usually ministers of below cabinet rank, such as Ministers of State and Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State in the UK...
s.
Royal Nomination, Congressional Confirmation
Once a
General ElectionElections in Spain gives information on election and election results in Spain.On the national level, Spain directly elects a legislature, the Cortes Generales , which consist of two chambers, the Congress of Deputies and the Senate...
has been announced by the king, political parties nominate their candidates to stand for the presidency of the government.
Following the General Election of the
Cortes GeneralesThe Cortes Generales is the legislature of Spain. It is a bicameral parliament, composed of the Congress of Deputies and the Senate . The Cortes has power to enact any law and to amend the constitution...
(
Cortes), and other circumstances provided for in the constitution, the king meets with and interviews the
political party leaders represented in the Congress of Deputies, and then consults with the Speaker of the Congress of Deputies (officially,
Presidente de Congreso de los Diputados de España, who, in this instance, represents the
whole of the Cortes Generalas and was himself elected from within the Congress to be the Speaker) before nominating his candidate for the presidency, according to Section 99 of Title IV. Often minor parties form part of a larger major party, and through that membership it can be said that the king fulfills his constitutional mandate of constulting with party represenitives with Congressional representation.
Title IV Government and Administration
Section 99(1) & (2)
- (1) After each renewal of the Congress and the other cases provided for under the Constitution, the King shall, after consultation with the representatives appointed by the political groups with parliamentary representation, and through the Speaker of the Congress, nominate for the Presidency of the Government.
- (2) The candidate nominated in accordance with the provisions of the foregoing subsection shall submit to the Congress the political program of the Government he or she intends to form and shall seek the confidence of the House.
Artículo 99.
- 1. Después de cada renovación del Congreso de los Diputados, y en los demás supuestos constitucionales en que así proceda, el Rey, previa consulta con los representantes designados por los grupos políticos con representación parlamentaria, y a través del Presidente del Congreso, propondrá un candidato a la Presidencia del Gobierno.
- 2. El candidato propuesto conforme a lo previsto en el apartado anterior expondrá ante el Congreso de los Diputados el programa político del Gobierno que pretenda formar y solicitará la confianza de la Cámara.
Constitutionally, the monarch may nominate anyone he sees fit as his prerogative. However, it remains pragmatic for the king to nominate a candidate who is most likely to enjoy the confidence of the Congress of Deputies and form a government, usually the political leader whose party commands the most seats in the Congress. For the Crown to nominate the political leader whose party controls the Congress can be seen as a royal endorsement of the democratic process, a fundamental concept enshrined in the 1978 Constitution.
By
political customAlternative meaning: Constitutional convention A constitutional convention is an informal and uncodified procedural agreement that is followed by the institutions of a state...
established by King Juan Carlos since the ratification of the 1978 Constitution, the king's nominees have all been from parties who maintain a plurality of seats in the Congress. However, there is no legal requirement for this: though it has never happened in the national government, the largest party could end up not ruling if rival parties can gather into a majority, forming a kind of super
coalitionA coalition is an alliance among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in his own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
. This scenario is unlikely as political activity in Spain has effectively coalesced into a
two-party systemA two-party system is a form of party system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections, at every level. As a result, all, or nearly all, elected offices end up being held by candidates endorsed by one of the two major parties...
between the
Spanish Socialist Workers' PartyThe Spanish Socialist Workers' Party , is the ruling party in Spain and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in 1833. It identifies itself as a centre-left, social-democratic, democratic socialist and progressivist party....
and the
People's PartyThe People's Party is the main Right-wing political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation of the Popular Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship and a politician known to have relatively...
, with the two major parties adopting some aspects of the minor party platforms in an effort to attract them into a coalition to edge out their rival party.
The king is normally able announce his nominee the day following a General Election.
The king's order nominating a presidential candidate is countersigned by the Speaker of the Congress, who then presents the nominee before the Congress of Deputies in a process known as a
Parliamentary Investiture (
Investidura parlamentaria). During the Parliamentary Investiture proceedings the nominee presents his
political agendaA manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. However, manifestos relating to religious belief are rather referred to as credo. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
in an
Investiture Speech to be debated and submitted for a Vote of Confidence (
Cuestión de confianza) by the Congress, effecting an
indirect electionIndirect election is a process in which voters in an election don't actually choose between candidates for an office but rather elect persons who will then make the choice. It is one of the oldest form of elections and is still used today for many upper houses and presidents...
of the head of government. A simple majority confirms the nominee and his program. At the moment of the vote, the confidence is awarded if the candidate receives a majority of votes in the first poll (currently 176 out of 350 MPs), but if the confidence is not awarded, a second vote is scheduled two days later in which a simple majority of votes cast (i.e. more "yes" than "no" votes) is required.
After the nominee is confirmed, the Speaker of the Congress of Deputies formally requests of the king to appoint the candidate as the new President of the Government. The king's order of appointment is countersigned by the Speaker. During the inauguration ceremony performed before the king, customarily at the
Salón de Audiencias in the
Zarzuela PalaceThe Palace of Zarzuela is the principal residence of King Juan Carlos of Spain and Queen Sofia and their family. The palace is on the outskirts of Madrid, in the Royal Palace of El Pardo complex near the residence of the Prince and Princess of Asturias...
, the president elect of the Government takes an
oath of officeAn oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before undertaking the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations...
over an open constitution and next to the Holy Bible. The oath as taken by President Zapatero on his first term in office on 17 April 2004 was; :
In 2008, from the time the king nominated
José Luis Rodríguez ZapateroJosé Luis Rodríguez Zapatero , better known by his maternal surname Zapatero or ZP, is the current President of the Government of Spain...
for a second term as president immediatly following the 2008 General Election, almost a month passed before Zapatero was able to present his Investiture Speech before the Congress and stand for a Vote of Confidence.
However, if no overall majority was obtained on the first Vote of Confidence, then the same nominee and program is resubmitted for a second vote within forty-eight hours. Following the second vote, if confidence by the Congress is still unreached, then the monarch again meets with political leaders and the Speaker, and submits a new nominee for a vote of confidence.
If, within two months, no candidate has won the confidence of the Congress then the king dissolves the Cortes and calls for a new General Election. The king's royal decree is countersigned by the Speaker of the Congress.
Once appointed, the President of the Government forms his government whose ministers are appointed and removed by the king on the president's advice.
In the political life of Spain, the king would already be familiar with the various political leaders in a professional capacity, and perhaps less formally in a more social capacity, facilitating their meeting following a General Election. Conversely, nominating the party leader whose party maintains a plurality and who are already familiar with their party
manifestoA manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. However, manifestos relating to religious belief are rather referred to as credo. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
facilitates a smoother nomination process. In the event of
coalitionsA coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
, the political leaders would customarily have met beforehand to hammer out a coalition agreement before their meeting with the king.
Governments and the Cortes sit for a term no longer then four years when the president tenders his resignation to the king and advises the king to dissolve the Cortes, prompting a General Election. It remains within the king's prerogative to dissolve the Cortes if, at the conclusion of the four years, the president has not asked for its dissolution, according to Title II Section 56. The president may call for earlier elections, known as a
snap electionA snap election is an election called earlier than scheduled. Generally it refers to an election called when no one expects it, usually to capitalize on a unique electoral opportunity or to decide a pressing issue. It differs from a recall election in that it is initiated by politicians rather...
, but no sooner then a year after the prior General Election. Additionally, if the Government loses the confidence of the Cortes, then it must resign.
In the event that a president dies or becomes incapacitated while in office, then the government as a whole resigns and the process of royal nomination and appointment takes place. The vice president would then take over the day to day operations in the meantime, even while the vice president himself may be nominated by the king and stand for a vote of confidence.
Constitutional authority
Title IV of the Constitution defines the government and its responsibilities. The government consists of the
President of the Government and ministers of stateThe Council of Ministers is the Cabinet of Spain. It is a collegiate body composed of the President of the Government , the Vice Presidents when existing and the ministers, and any other member required by law, as exceptionally Secretaries of State...
. The government conducts domestic and
foreign policyAfter the return of democracy following the death of General Franco in 1975, Spain's foreign policy priorities were to break out of the diplomatic isolation of the Franco years and expand diplomatic relations, enter the European Community, and define security relations with NATO, later joining the...
, civil and military administration, and the
defense of the nationThe armed forces of Spain are known as the Spanish Armed Forces . Their Commander-in-Chief is the King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, and consists of the Army, Navy and Air Force...
all in the name of the king. Additionally, the government exercises executive authority and statutory regulations.
There is no provision in the Spanish Constitution for explicitly granting any emergency powers to the government, which could be understood as exorcizing the ghost of the recent dictatorship in Spain. However, Title II, Sections 56 of the constitution vests the monarch as the "arbitrator and moderator of the institutions" of government,
[The King] arbitrates and moderates the regular functioning of the institutions (
arbitra y modera el funcionamiento regular de las instituciones). This provision could be understood as allowing the king or his government ministers to excercise emergency authority in times of national crisis, such as when the king used his authority to back the government of the day and call for the military to abandon the
23-F coup attempt23-F is the name given to a failed coup d'état in Spain that started on 23 February 1981 and ended the next day on 24 February 1981. It is also known as El Tejerazo from the name of its most visible figure, Antonio Tejero, who conducted the most notable event of the coup by storming into the...
in 1981.
Peerages
Peerages in Spain are created by the Grace of the King according to the Spanish Ministry of Justice, however the Royal Warrant (Title of Concession) must be countersigned by a government minister. When a title is created for a former president, the succeeding president customarily countersigns the royal decree.
As a reward for national service, the king awarded
peeragesThe Spanish nobility are the persons who possess the legal status of nobility, and the system of titles and honours of Spain and of the former kingdoms that constitute it. Some nobles possess various titles that may be inherited, but the inheritance and creation of titles is entirely at the grace...
to two of his former presidents who have retired from active politics:
Adolfo SuárezDon Adolfo Suárez y González, 1st Duke of Suárez, Grandee of Spain, KOGF was Spain's first democratically elected prime minister after the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, and the key figure in the country's transition to democracy.-Parents:He is a son of Hipólito Suárez y … and...
, who was created 1st
Duke of SuárezAdolfo Suárez was created Duke of Suárez by King Juan Carlos of Spain in 1981 following his resignation as Spanish Prime Minister, in recognition of his role in the Spanish transition to democracy....
; and Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo who was created 1st Marquess of la Ría de Ribadeo. The king's third president
Felipe GonzálezFelipe González Márquez is a Spanish socialist politician. He was the General Secretary of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party from 1974 to 1997. To date, he remains the longest-serving Prime Minister of Spain, after having served four successive mandates from 1982 to 1996...
declined a title, while
José María Aznarserved as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004. He is currently on the board of directors of News Corporation.-Early life:...
's presidency was mired in controversies making a peerage unlikely. All successive politicians remain active within politics. Additional titles of nobility have been created by the king for other government ministers, usually at the advice of the president of the government.
As of 2005, the king as created 40 hereditary titles of nobility.
Recent Spanish PMs
This is a list of the people who have held the office of President of the Government of Spain since the
Spanish transition to democracyThe Spanish transition to democracy was the era when Spain moved from the dictatorship of Francisco Franco to a liberal democratic state. The transition is usually said to have begun with Franco’s death on November 20, 1975, while its completion has been variously said to be marked by the Spanish...
. For the full list since the predecessor office of Secretary of the Universal Bureau was created (1705), see
List of Prime Ministers of Spain.
| Picture |
Name |
From |
Until |
Political Party |
Head of State |
|
Adolfo Suárez González Don Adolfo Suárez y González, 1st Duke of Suárez, Grandee of Spain, KOGF was Spain's first democratically elected prime minister after the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, and the key figure in the country's transition to democracy.-Parents:He is a son of Hipólito Suárez y … and...
|
15 July 1976 |
29 January 1981 |
UCD |
King Juan Carlos IJuan Carlos I of Spain is the reigning king of Spain. He is the son of the late Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona and the late Princess María Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies...
|
 |
Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo y BusteloLeopoldo Calvo-Sotelo y Bustelo, 1st Marquess of la Ría de Ribadeo was a Spanish political figure and President of the Spanish government during Spain's period of transition after the end of Francisco Franco's regime.-Biography:Calvo-Sotelo was born into a prominent...
ActingIn law, when someone is said to be acting in a position it can mean one of three things.*The position has not yet been formally created.*The person is only occupying the position temporarily, to ensure continuity.*The person does not have a mandate....
until 25 February |
29 January 1981 |
2 December 1982 |
 |
Felipe González MárquezFelipe González Márquez is a Spanish socialist politician. He was the General Secretary of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party from 1974 to 1997. To date, he remains the longest-serving Prime Minister of Spain, after having served four successive mandates from 1982 to 1996...
4 terms: 1982, 1986, 1989 and 1993 |
2 December 1982 |
5 May 1996 |
PSOE |
 |
José María Aznar Lópezserved as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004. He is currently on the board of directors of News Corporation.-Early life:...
2 terms: 1996 and 2000 |
5 May 1996 |
17 April 2004 |
PPThe People's Party is the main Right-wing political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation of the Popular Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship and a politician known to have relatively...
|
 |
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
2 terms: 2004 and 2008 |
17 April 2004 |
Incumbent
Term expires: 2012 |
PSOE |