The prime minister of Spain, officially president of the Government (), is the
head of government
In the Executive (government), executive branch, the head of government is the highest or the second-highest official of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presid ...
of
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. The prime minister nominates the
ministers and chairs the
Council of Ministers
Council of Ministers is a traditional name given to the supreme Executive (government), executive organ in some governments. It is usually equivalent to the term Cabinet (government), cabinet. The term Council of State is a similar name that also m ...
. In this sense, the prime minister establishes the
Government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
policies and coordinates the actions of the Cabinet members. As chief executive, the prime minister also advises the
monarch
A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...
on the exercise of their
royal prerogative
The royal prerogative is a body of customary authority, Privilege (law), privilege, and immunity recognised in common law (and sometimes in Civil law (legal system), civil law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy) as belonging to the monarch, so ...
s.
Although it is not possible to determine when the position actually originated, the office of prime minister evolved throughout history to what it is today. The role of prime minister (then called Secretary of State) as president of the Council of Ministers, first appears in a royal decree of 1824 by King
Ferdinand VII. The current office was established during the
reign of Juan Carlos I, in the
1978 Constitution, which describes the prime minister's constitutional role and powers, how the prime minister accedes to, and is removed from office, and the relationship between the prime minister and Parliament.
Upon a vacancy, the monarch nominates a candidate for a vote of confidence by the
Congress of Deputies
The Congress of Deputies () is the lower house of the , Spain's legislative branch, the upper house being the Senate of Spain, Senate. The Congress meets in the Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid, Palace of the Parliament () in Madrid.
Congress has ...
, the lower house of the . The process is a parliamentary
investiture by which the head of government is elected by the Congress of Deputies. In practice, the prime minister is almost always the leader of the largest party in the Congress, although not necessarily. The prime minister's official residence and office is
Moncloa Palace in Madrid.
Pedro Sánchez, of the
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( , PSOE ) is a Social democracy, social democratic Updated as required.The PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources:
*
*
*
* List of political parties in Spain, political party ...
(PSOE), has been prime minister since 2 June 2018. He first came to power after a successful
motion of no confidence
A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...
against former prime minister
Mariano Rajoy. Since then, Sánchez has led three governments, the most—along with
Adolfo Suárez—just behind fellow socialist
Felipe González, prime minister from 1982 to 1996. King
Felipe VI
Felipe VI (; Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Grecia; born 30 January 1968) is King of Spain. In accordance with the Spanish Constitution, as monarch, he is head of state and commander-in-chief of the Spanish Armed For ...
re-appointed Sánchez for the third time on 17 November 2023 after he reached a
coalition agreement with
''Sumar'' and gathered the support of other minor parties. His
third government took office on 21 November 2023.
Official title
The Spanish head of government has been known, since 1939, as "President of the Government" ().
Not only is this term confusing for English speakers because Spain is not a republic, but because the parliamentary speakers are also referred to as presidents of their respective chambers. For example, both President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
and his brother, Florida governor
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born February 11, 1953) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 43rd governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. A member of the Bush family, Bush political family, he was an unsuccessful candidate for pre ...
, referred to
José María Aznar as "president" on separate occasions, and
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
referred to
Mariano Rajoy both as "President" and "Mr. President" during Rajoy's 2017 White House visit. While this term of address was not incorrect, it could be misleading to English speakers so
prime minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
is commonly used as a culturally equivalent term to ensure clarity.
Use of the term "president" dates back to 1834 and the regency of
Maria Christina when, styled after the
head of government
In the Executive (government), executive branch, the head of government is the highest or the second-highest official of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presid ...
of the
French July Monarchy (1830), the official title was the "President of the Council of Ministers" (). This remained until 1939, when the
Second Spanish Republic
The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of democratic government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931 after the deposition of Alfonso XIII, King Alfonso XIII. ...
ended. Before 1834 the figure was known as "
Secretary of State" (), a denomination used today for
junior ministers.
Spain was not unique in this regard: it was one of several European parliamentary systems, including
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
and the
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State (6 December 192229 December 1937), also known by its Irish-language, Irish name ( , ), was a State (polity), state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-ye ...
, that styled the head of government as 'presidents' of the government rather than the Westminster term of 'prime minister' (see
President of the Council for the full list of corresponding terms). However the term '
president' is far older.
Origin
Since the 15th century, the Spanish monarchs has delegated its executive powers in relevant personalities. Two are the most important: the validos and the
secretaries of state. The
''validos'', which existed since early 15th century to the late 17th century were people of the highest confidence of the monarchs and they exercised the Crown's power in the monarch's name.
Since the 18th century, the ''validos'' disappeared and the secretaries of state were introduced. Both positions were ''de facto'' prime ministers (as demonstrated by the fact that since the tenure of the
count-duke of Olivares, ''valido'' of
Felipe IV, the ''validos'' were often called by courtiers and authors already in the 17th century as "principal minister or prime minister of Spain"
) although they can not be completely compared.
On 19 November 1823, after a brief liberal democratic period called the
Liberal Triennium between 1820 and 1823,
King Ferdinand VII re-established the absolute monarchy and created the
Council of Ministers
Council of Ministers is a traditional name given to the supreme Executive (government), executive organ in some governments. It is usually equivalent to the term Cabinet (government), cabinet. The term Council of State is a similar name that also m ...
that continues to exist today.
This council, when not chaired by the monarch, was chaired by the secretary of state for foreign affairs (), who acted as prime minister.
This role was ratified by the
Royal Statute of 1834, which constitutionalized for the first time the figure of the prime minister under the name of "President of the Council of Ministers", invested with executive powers.
During the 19th century, the position changed names frequently. After the
Glorious Revolution of 1868, it was renamed ''President of the Provisional Revolutionary Joint'' and later ''President of the Provisional Government''. In 1869, the office resumed the name of ''President of the Council of Ministers''. Following the abdication of
King Amadeus I, during the
First Republic (1873–1874) the office was known as the ''President of the Executive Power'' and was also
head of state
A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state.#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of sta ...
. In 1874, the office name reverted to ''President of the Council of Ministers''.
Since its inception, the prime minister has been appointed and dismissed by the will of the monarch. Successive constitutions have confirmed this royal prerogative of the monarch in the
Constitution of 1837 (article 47), article 46 of the
Constitution of 1845, the
Constitution of 1869 (article 68), and the
Constitution of 1876 (article 54).
With the fall of the First Republic and the restoration of the
Bourbon dynasty
The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a dynasty that originated in the Kingdom of France as a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Kingdom of Navarre, Navarre in the 16th century. A br ...
on King
Alfonso XII, the office maintained its original name until the
dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, when it was renamed to ''President of the Military Directory''. In 1925, the original name was restored again.The
Republican Constitution of 1931 provided for the prime minister and the rest of the government to be appointed and dismissed by the
President of the Republic but they were responsible before the Parliament and the Parliament could vote to dismiss the prime minister or a minister even against the will of the president of the republic. In the
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
, the head of government among the
Nationalists was called ''Chief of the Government of the State'' and since January 1938 the office acquired the current name, ''President of the Government,'' but between that date and 1973 the office was held by
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (born Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general and dictator who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces i ...
as dictator of Spain.
In 1973,
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (born Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general and dictator who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces i ...
separated the head of state from the head of government, and that division still exists today, with the prime minister democratically elected by the
Parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
which is itself elected by universal suffrage, free and equal.
Adolfo Suárez was the first democratically elected prime minister of the post-Franco government. He was originally appointed by King
Juan Carlos I
Juan Carlos I (; Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 November 1975 until Abdication of Juan Carlos I, his abdic ...
on 3 July 1976, and he was confirmed in the office by popular vote after the
1977 Spanish general election.
Royal nomination and congressional confirmation
Once a
general election
A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...
has been called by the
monarch
A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...
, political parties designate their candidates to stand for prime minister—usually the party leader. A prime minister is dismissed from office the day after the election, but remains in office as a caretaker until his/her successor is sworn in.
Following the general election and other circumstances provided for in the Constitution, the sovereign meets with the leaders of the
parties represented in the Congress of Deputies, and then consults with the
Speaker of the Congress of Deputies () as representative of the whole of parliament), before nominating a candidate for the prime ministership. This process is spelled out in Section 99 of the Constitution.
[Spanish Constitution, 1978, Part IV Government and Administration](_blank)
/ref>
By political custom established by Juan Carlos I
Juan Carlos I (; Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 November 1975 until Abdication of Juan Carlos I, his abdic ...
since the ratification of the 1978 Constitution, the sovereign's nominees have usually been from parties who have a plurality of seats in the Congress (i.e. the largest party). Although there is no legal requirement for this, it is seen as a royal endorsement of the democratic process—a fundamental concept enshrined in the 1978 Constitution. The largest party can end up not ruling if rival parties form a coalition
A coalition is formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political, military, or economic spaces.
Formation
According to ''A G ...
—as happened in 2018 with the election of PSOE leader Pedro Sánchez. More commonly, if neither of the two major parties (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( , PSOE ) is a Social democracy, social democratic Updated as required.The PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources:
*
*
*
* List of political parties in Spain, political party ...
or People's Party) are able to command an absolute majority of the Congress by themselves, one will rule as a minority by adopting some aspects of the minor party platforms in an effort to attract them into parliamentary agreements to vote in the major party's favour, or at least abstain.
The monarch's order nominating a prime ministerial 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 investiture proceedings, the candidate describes their political agenda
In politics, a political agenda is a list of subjects or problems (issues) to which government officials as well as individuals outside the government are paying serious attention to at any given time. The political agenda is most often shaped by ...
in an ''Investiture Speech'' to be debated and submitted for a vote of confidence (''Cuestión de confianza'') by the Congress, effecting an indirect election
An indirect election or ''hierarchical voting,'' is an election in which voters do not choose directly among candidates or parties for an office ( direct voting system), but elect people who in turn choose candidates or parties. It is one of the o ...
of the head of government.[Speech by Zapatero at the session for his investiture as Prime Minister](_blank)
/ref>
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 granted, a second vote is scheduled forty-eight hours later in which a simple majority of votes cast (i.e., more "yes" than "no" votes) is required. Following the second vote, if confidence by the Congress is still not reached, then the monarch again meets with political leaders and the Speaker, and submits a new nominee for a vote of confidence (exceptionally, in 2016 King Felipe VI
Felipe VI (; Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Grecia; born 30 January 1968) is King of Spain. In accordance with the Spanish Constitution, as monarch, he is head of state and commander-in-chief of the Spanish Armed For ...
opted for not nominating more candidates and call for new elections). If, within two months, no candidate has won the confidence of the Congress then the monarch dissolves the Cortes and calls for a new general election. The monarch's royal decree is countersigned by the Speaker of the Congress.
Oath of office
After the nominee is confirmed, the Speaker of the Congress formally reports the fact to the sovereign. The monarch then appoints the candidate as the new prime minister and this too is countersigned by the Speaker.
During the swearing-in ceremony presided over by the monarch, customarily at the Audience Hall of the Royal Palace of Zarzuela, the prime minister–designate takes an oath of office over an open Constitution and—at choice since 2014—next to a Bible
The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
and a crucifix. The prime minister must take the oath or affirmation placing the right hand on the Constitution. Currently, only one prime minister has refused to take the oath of office next to religious symbols: Pedro Sánchez, along with most of his Cabinet members. His predecessor, Mariano Rajoy, a Catholic, put his right hand on the Constitution and, at the same time, his left hand on the Bible. As per tradition, if the members of the government choose not to take the oath along with any religious symbols, they use the word "prometo" ("I promise"), whereas if the take the oath with the Bible, they use the word "juro" ("I swear"). The oath as taken by Prime Minister Zapatero on his first term in office on 17 April 2004 was:
Once appointed, the prime minister forms his government whose ministers are appointed and removed by the monarch on the prime minister's advice. In the political life of Spain, the monarch 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 manifesto
A manifesto is a written declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an individual, group, political party, or government. A manifesto can accept a previously published opinion or public consensus, but many prominent ...
facilitates a smoother nomination process. In the event of coalitions, the political leaders would customarily have met beforehand to hammer out a coalition agreement before their meeting with the Sovereign.
Constitutional authority
Title IV of the Constitution defines the Government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
and its responsibilities. The Government consists of the prime minister and the ministers. The government conducts domestic and foreign policy
Foreign policy, also known as external policy, is the set of strategies and actions a State (polity), state employs in its interactions with other states, unions, and international entities. It encompasses a wide range of objectives, includ ...
, civil and military administration, and the defense of the nation all in the name of the monarch on behalf of the people. Additionally, the government exercises executive authority and statutory regulations. The main collective decision-making body of the Government is the Council of Ministers
Council of Ministers is a traditional name given to the supreme Executive (government), executive organ in some governments. It is usually equivalent to the term Cabinet (government), cabinet. The term Council of State is a similar name that also m ...
, chaired by the prime minister and, after a formal request by the Prime Minister, by the monarch
A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...
.
There is no provision in the Spanish Constitution for explicitly granting any emergency powers to the government. However, Section 56 of the Constitution vests the monarch as the "arbitrator and moderator of the institutions" of government, '' he Kingarbitrates and moderates the regular functioning of the institutions'' (''arbitra y modera el funcionamiento regular de las instituciones'').[The Royal Household of H.M. The King website](_blank)
/ref> This provision could be understood as allowing the monarch or his government ministers to exercise emergency authority in times of national crisis, such as when the monarch used his authority to back the government of the day and call for the military to abandon the 23-F coup attempt in 1981.
The prime minister also assumes political responsibility for most acts of the sovereign. While the monarch is vested with executive power, his acts are not valid unless countersigned by a minister. Under Article 64 of the Constitution, that minister—usually the prime minister—assumes political responsibility for the act in question. In these sense, the Constitution grants the prime minister the initiative to request the monarch for calling a referendum
A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...
, for calling for new elections or for dissolving any of the legislative chambers. In Spain, the government ministers cannot force the prime minister resignation and this idea is reinforced when the Constitution grants the prime minister the sole initiative to request the Congress for a vote of confidence. In constitutional matters, the primacy of the prime minister over the ministers is also evident, since the prime ministers alone is responsible for the government initiative to challenge the constitutionality of a law.
Office of the Prime Minister
The Office of the Prime Minister (, ) is the combination of government departments and services that are at the service of the Prime Minister to fulfill its constitutional duties. It was established around 1834 when officials and budget began to be assigned to the personal Secretariat of the Prime Minister. Today, it acts as a ministerial department, although it is not formally one of them, and approximately 2,000 people work there.
The Prime Minister's Office principal departments are:
* The Ministry of the Presidency.
** The Secretariat of State for Relations with the Cortes and Constitutional Affairs.
** The Secretariat of State for Democratic Memory.
* The Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for supporting the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, prime minister and Cabinet ...
, headed by the Moncloa Chief of Staff.
** The General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Government.
** The Department of National Security.
* The Office for Economic Affairs and G20, with the rank of secretariat of state.
*
* The Secretariat of State for Press.
The autonomous agency Patrimonio Nacional, which manages Crown properties, depends on this Office through the Ministry of the Presidency.
Security and transport
The Cabinet Office, through the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Government, is responsible for the protocol and security affairs. Within the General Secretariat, there is a Department of Security of the Presidency of the Government (DSPG) that coordinates the efforts of the National Police Corps and the Civil Guard in the protection of the Prime Minister and his family, as well as the infraestructure and personnel of the Moncloa Government Complex.
The vehicles used by the Prime Minister are provided by the State Vehicle Fleet (PME), an autonomous agency of the Ministry of Finance that provides the government with all type of vehicles and well-trained drivers. The air transportation of the Prime Minister and other government officials is mainly provided by the 45th Wing (planes) and the 402nd Air Force Squadron (helicopters).
Resignation and dissolution of Parliament
The Parliament, and thus, the Government, sit for a term no longer than four years. Before that date, the prime minister may offer his resignation to the sovereign. If the Prime Minister does so while advising the monarch to dissolve parliament, the sovereign will call for a snap election, but no sooner than a year after the prior general election.
If a prime minister resigns without advising the monarch to call for new elections, 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 deputy prime minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...
, or in the absence of such office, the first minister by precedence, would then take over the day-to-day operations in the meantime as acting-prime minister, even while the deputy prime minister themselves may be nominated by the monarch and stand for a vote of confidence. Also, if at the conclusion of the four years, the prime minister has not asked for its dissolution, according to Title II Section 56, the monarch must dissolve the Parliament and call for a new general election.
Although the prime minister's position is strengthened by constitutional limits on the Congress' right to withdraw confidence from the government, the Cortes Generales has two ways of forcing the prime minister's resignation: passing a motion of no confidence
A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...
or rejecting a motion of confidence. In the first case, and following the German model, a prime minister can only be removed by a constructive vote of no confidence. While the Congress can censure the government at any time, the censure motion must also include the name of a prospective replacement for the incumbent prime minister. If the censure motion is successful, the replacement candidate is automatically deemed to have the confidence of the Congress, and the monarch is required to appoint them as the new prime minister. As of 2023, only Pedro Sánchez managed to remove a sitting prime minister with a vote of no confidence in 2018, making him prime minister. In the second case, the prime minister, after deliberation by the Council of Ministers
Council of Ministers is a traditional name given to the supreme Executive (government), executive organ in some governments. It is usually equivalent to the term Cabinet (government), cabinet. The term Council of State is a similar name that also m ...
, can propose a vote of confidence regarding the government's policies in Congress. If Congress does not give the prime minister its confidence, the prime minister must resign. As of 2023, only prime minister Adolfo Suárez in 1980 and Felipe González in 1990 proposed a vote of confidence, both successfully.
Precedence, privileges and form of address
The Prime Minister is the second authority of the Kingdom of Spain, outranking all other State authorities except members of the royal family
A royal family is the immediate family of monarchs and sometimes their extended family.
The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while th ...
.
In 2023, the Prime Minister received a salary of €90,010 and additional €13,422 as member of parliament. With this salary, the prime minister is not the highest paid official of Spain, being surpassed by other State authorities such as the royal family (the King
King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
, €269,296; the Queen
Queen most commonly refers to:
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen (band), a British rock band
Queen or QUEEN may also refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Q ...
, €148,105; and the Queen Mother, €121,186), the president of the Congress of Deputies (€230,931), the president of the Constitutional Court (€167,169), the president of the Supreme Court (€151,186) and the president of the Court of Auditors (€130,772), among others.
The prime minister is constitutionally protected against ordinary prosecution. Although the Prime Minister does not have legal immunity
Legal immunity, or immunity from prosecution, is a legal status wherein an individual or entity cannot be held liable for a violation of the law, in order to facilitate societal aims that outweigh the value of imposing liability in such cases. S ...
like the monarch, the prime minister, as well as the members of the Royal Family, the Government, the Congress of Deputies and the Senate, can only be criminally responsible before the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court
In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
Spanish Constitution, Part IV § 102
.
Although it is not formally regulated, Spanish custom establishes that the prime minister receives the treatment of The Most Excellent
The Most Excellent ( (male) or (female), literally "Most Excellent Lord/Lady") is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in Spain and certain Spanish-speaking countries. Following Spanish tradition, it is an '' ex off ...
(). This treatment has been customary for the government ministers since, at least, the 18th century, and in the case of the prime minister, this treatment is reinforced as member of the Order of Charles III, whose article 13 states that "the Knights and the Dames of the Collar, as well as the Knights and Dames Grand Cross, will receive the treatment of Most Excellent Lord and Most Excellent Lady".
Deputy
The Spanish Constitution foresee the office of deputy prime minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...
and also the possibility of having more than one deputy prime minister. Although the position of deputy prime minister has existed intermittently since 1840, the Constitution endorses what was established in the Organic Act of the State of 1967, which provided for the first time the possibility of appointing more than one deputy and, in 1974, this provision became effective when Prime Minister Carlos Arias Navarro appointed three deputies ( José García Hernández, Antonio Barrera de Irimo and Licinio de la Fuente). Since then, three more prime ministers ( Adolfo Suárez, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and Pedro Sánchez) have had more than one deputy. The second government of Pedro Sánchez holds the record for most deputies, appointing four. This large number of deputy prime ministerships was interpreted as a maneuver to reduce the political weight of his second deputy prime minister and leader of the minority party in the coalition, Pablo Iglesias Turrión
Pablo Iglesias Turrión (; born 17 October 1978) is a Spanish political scientist and former politician. During his political career, he served as Second Deputy Prime Minister of Spain, Second Deputy Prime Minister and as Ministry of Social Aff ...
.
Succession
According to article 101 of the Spanish Constitution, the prime minister and its government only ceases in the cases of resignation, a failed motion of confidence, a motion of no confidence against the prime minister or the death of the prime minister. In the first three options, there is no succession, because the prime minister remains as caretaker prime minister until a new prime minister is elected by the Congress of Deputies.
If the Prime Minister dies, the 1997 Government Act provides that the Prime Minister be succeeded by the Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...
and, if there is more than one, by the Deputy Prime Ministers, depending on their order. If there is no deputy prime minister, the Government Act establishes that the prime minister will be replaced by the ministers, according to the order of precedence
An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of importance applied to individuals, groups, or organizations. For individuals, it is most often used for diplomats in attendance at very formal occasions. It can also be used in the context of ...
of the Departments. This means that the first in the line of succession after the deputy prime ministers would be the Minister of Foreign Affairs
In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...
, followed by the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Finance. These four ministers are the first and great offices created in 1714 by King Philip V.
Order of Charles III
The Order of Charles III, officially the Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, was established in 1771 by King Charles III
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms.
Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...
and is today the country's highest civil honor. The current regulation of the order, established in October 2002, states that the prime minister is the Grand Chancellor of the Order (second to the Grand Master, the Monarch
A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...
).
Upon taking office, the new prime minister shall be invested with the degree of Knight or Dame Grand Cross of the Order and with this rank he will act as Grand Chancellor of the same. It is responsibility of the Grand Chancellor to submit to the approval of the Council of Ministers
Council of Ministers is a traditional name given to the supreme Executive (government), executive organ in some governments. It is usually equivalent to the term Cabinet (government), cabinet. The term Council of State is a similar name that also m ...
Royal Decrees granting the degrees of Collar and Grand Cross, and all titles of the different degrees of the Royal Order must bear his signature and the monarch's.
The last person to join the order was Sergio Mattarella
Sergio Mattarella (; born 23 July 1941) is an Italian politician and jurist who has served as the president of Italy since 2015. He is the longest-serving president in the history of the Italian Republic. Since Giorgio Napolitano's death in 20 ...
, President of the Italian Republic, who was awarded the collar of the order in December 2024 on the occasion of the State visit of the Spanish monarchs to Italy.
Retirement honours and privileges
Upon retirement, it is customary for the monarch to grant a prime minister some honour or dignity. The honour bestowed is commonly the Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
The Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic (; Abbreviation, Abbr.: OYC) is a knighthood and one of the three preeminent Order of merit, orders of merit bestowed by the Kingdom of Spain, alongside the Order of Charles III (established in 1771) and ...
, the second highest civil honor, while the ministers receive the Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III (the highest civil distinction). This is because the prime minister is, since he is appointed as such by the sovereign, a Knight or Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III, for which he is awarded the next highest distinction.
In addition to these honors, the monarch might offer the former prime minister a peerage
A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes Life peer, non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks.
Peerages include:
A ...
, being the highest marks of distinction that he may bestow in his capacity as the '' fons honorum'' in Spain. Conventionally, the ''Title of Concession'' creating the dignity must be countersigned by a government minister. When a title is created for a former prime minister, the succeeding prime minister customarily countersigns the royal decree.
Although prior to the reign of Alfonso XIII many noble titles were granted —or the rank of those who already possessed one was raised— to prime ministers and ministers (such as the Dukedom of Prim —granted to the daughter of late prime minister Juan Prim— or the Dukedom of Castillejos —awarded to the other son of the aforementioned prime minister—), it was not until this historical period when it became customary, since King Alfonso XIII
Alfonso XIII (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Alfonso León Fernando María Jaime Isidro Pascual Antonio de Borbón y Habsburgo-Lorena''; French language, French: ''Alphonse Léon Ferdinand Marie Jacques Isidore Pascal Antoine de Bourbon''; 17 May ...
granted a total of sixteen of these dignities to former prime ministers or their relatives during his reign. Of these, four were dukedoms (granted to relatives of assassinated prime ministers), three were marquessates and two counties, as well as seven grandships were granted. Likewise, the monarch also rewarded with numerous golden fleeces. King Juan Carlos I
Juan Carlos I (; Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 November 1975 until Abdication of Juan Carlos I, his abdic ...
wanted to restore this tradition and, therefore, as a reward for their service, the last noble titles granted (both with grandship) were those of Adolfo Suárez (to whom the golden fleece was also awarded in 2007), who was created Duke of Suárez in 1981 and Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo, created in 2002, twenty years after holding the office. The last prime minister to be offered a noble title was Felipe González, who rejected the offer. Since then, neither King Juan Carlos I
Juan Carlos I (; Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 November 1975 until Abdication of Juan Carlos I, his abdic ...
nor King Felipe VI
Felipe VI (; Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Grecia; born 30 January 1968) is King of Spain. In accordance with the Spanish Constitution, as monarch, he is head of state and commander-in-chief of the Spanish Armed For ...
have offered prime ministers such an honor.
Staff, salary and office
In 1983, the first government of Felipe González established the "Statute of Former Prime Ministers", which granted retired prime ministers, for four years, the right to have an office composed by two civil servants, a minimum endowment of 2.5 million pesetas each year for office expenses and an official vehicle with driver.
Nine years later, the government updated the Statute, removing the time limit the prime minister would receive privileges, including diplomatic assistance abroad, security, a personal salary for two years after leaving the office and, free pass in public transportation and an undetermined endowment for office expenses.
Since 2004, the retired prime ministers are eligible for a seat in the Council of State
A council of state is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head ...
for life. As of 2023, only Jose María Aznar (2005–2006) and José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (2011–2015) used this privilege.
For the fiscal year
A fiscal year (also known as a financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. La ...
2023, each of the living prime ministers receive €74,580 for the sustenance of their respective offices.
Recent prime ministers
Timeline
See also
* Elections in Spain
* List of prime ministers of Spain
* Politics of Spain
* Cabinet Office (Spain)
References
{{Prime Minister
Government of Spain
Politics of Spain
Spanish Prime Minister's Office