The politics of Spain takes place under the framework established by the Constitution of 1978. Spain is established as a social and democratic sovereign country wherein the national sovereignty is vested in the people, from which the powers of the state emanate.
The prime minister of Spain, officially president of the Government, is the head of government of Spain. The prime minister nominates the ministers and chairs the Council of Ministers. In this sense, the prime minister establishes the Government policies and coordinates the actions of the Cabinet members. As chief executive, the prime minister also advises the monarch on the exercise of their royal prerogatives.
The Cortes Generales are the bicameral legislative chambers of Spain, consisting of the Congress of Deputies and the Senate.
The Council of Ministers is the main collective decision-making body of the Government of Spain, and it is exclusively composed of the Prime Minister, the deputy prime ministers and the ministers. Junior or deputy ministers such as the Secretaries of State are not members of the Council. The Monarch may also chair the Council when needed on the invitation of the Prime Minister.
The government of Spain is the central government which leads the executive branch and the General State Administration of the Kingdom of Spain.
The Spanish transition to democracy, known in Spain as la Transición or la Transición española, is a period of modern Spanish history encompassing the regime change that moved from the Francoist dictatorship to the consolidation of a parliamentary system, in the form of constitutional monarchy under Juan Carlos I.
The 1979 Spanish general election was held on Thursday, 1 March 1979, to elect the 1st Cortes Generales of the Kingdom of Spain. All 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies were up for election, as well as all 208 seats in the Senate.
The 1977 Spanish general election was held on Wednesday, 15 June 1977, to elect the Spanish Cortes of the Kingdom of Spain. All 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies were up for election, as well as all 207 seats in the Senate.
Blas Piñar López was a Spanish far-right politician. Having connections to Catholic organizations, during the Francoist dictatorship he directed the Institute of Hispanic Culture and served as procurador in the Cortes and as national councillor (1955–1977). He later became a member of the Congress of Deputies in 1979. He led the far-right New Force and National Front political parties.
Duke of Fernández-Miranda, is a title for Spanish nobility that is accompanied by the additional honorific dignity of Grandee of Spain. It was granted by Juan Carlos I on 31 May 1977 to Torcuato Fernández-Miranda y Hevia, who played an important role in the Spanish transition to democracy. His political education of then Prince Juan Carlos during the dictatorship of Francoist Spain, and his statesmanship creating transitional laws and a constitution, and in facilitating the referendum and democratic elections after the death of Francisco Franco in 1975, were instrumental in Spain's return to democracy.
José Antonio Girón de Velasco was a prominent Spanish Falangist politician. He was minister of Labor (1941–57), counselor of the Council of the Realm and member of the Cortes Españolas. He was one of the most heard voices against any kind of changes during the last years of Francoist regime, taking part in the political group known as "the Bunker", for their reluctance to the Spanish transition to democracy after Franco's death.
A constitutional referendum was held in Spain on Wednesday, 6 December 1978, for approval or rejection of the proposed Spanish Constitution. The new constitution had been approved by the Cortes Generales on 31 October 1978, with the provision that the new law had to be approved by Spanish voters as well. The question asked was "Do you approve of the Constitution Bill?". The referendum resulted in 92% of valid votes in support of the bill on a turnout of 67%.
The Cortes Españolas, known informally as the Cortes franquistas, was the name of the legislative institution promulgated by the Caudillo of Spain Francisco Franco which was established on 17 July 1942, and opened its first session 8 months later on 17 March 1943. The Cortes sought to present itself as the highest organisational body for the Spanish people and to participate in the work of the State. Its members were known as procuradores, reviving a term used for legislators prior to the Napoleonic era.
The National Sports Council, also called Supreme Sports Council or High Council for Sports is a Spanish government autonomous agency responsible for the promotion, planning and development of physical culture and sports activities of any kind, the coordination and support to social entities dedicated to sports as well as the relations between the Government and the Spanish Olympic Committee.
A referendum on the new constitution or organic law was held in Spain on 14 December 1966, with all Spaniards over age 21 being allowed to participate. The question asked was "Do you approve of the Organic Law of the State Bill?". It was approved by 98% of valid votes on a turnout of 89%.
Joaquín Bau Nolla was a Spanish Carlist and Francoist politician.
The Organic Law of the State was promulgated during the third stage of the Francoist regime in Spain, by a government in which most of the power was in the hands of technocrats. Together with the other seven Fundamental Laws of the Realm, the process of institutionalization of the Francoist regime was achieved. The law was approved by a referendum on 14 December 1966, with the favorable vote of 98.1% of the voters.
The Law of Succession to the Headship of the State was the fifth of the eight Fundamental Laws of the Realm organizing the powers of the Francoist regime in Spain. It established provisions for the restoration of the Spanish monarchy, and appointed Francisco Franco as the Head of State of Spain for life. It provided that his successor would be proposed by Franco himself with the title of King or Regent of the Kingdom, but that would have to be approved by the Cortes Españolas.
The Permanent Deputation, in Spain, is a parliamentary body consisting of a reduced number of members of parliament which assume the legislative powers of the Parliament when it is not in session. The members of this body are chosen proportionally to the number of deputies that each political group has. The chair of a permanent deputation is normally the speaker of the Parliament.
Carlo-francoism was a branch of Carlism which actively engaged in the regime of Francisco Franco. Though mainstream Carlism retained an independent stand, many Carlist militants on their own assumed various roles in the Francoist system, e.g. as members of the FET y de las JONS executive, Cortes procuradores, or civil governors. The Traditionalist political faction of the Francoist regime issued from Carlism particularly held tight control over the Ministry of Justice. They have never formed an organized structure, their dynastical allegiances remained heterogeneous and their specific political objectives might have differed. Within the Francoist power strata, the carlo-francoists remained a minority faction that controlled some 5% of key posts; they failed to shape the regime and at best served as counter-balance to other groupings competing for power.
