Second government of the Count of Romanones

2nd government of the Count of Romanones
Government of Spain
1912–1913
Romanones in 1919
Date formed	31 December 1912
Date dissolved	27 October 1913
People and organisations
Monarch	Alfonso XIII
Prime Minister	Count of Romanones
No. of ministers	8 [a]
Total no. of members	8 [a]
Member party	Liberal
Status in legislature	Majority (single-party)
Opposition party	Conservative
Opposition leader	Antonio Maura
History
Predecessor	Romanones I
Successor	Dato I

The third government of the Count of Romanones, was formed on 31 December 1912, following the latter's appointment as prime minister of Spain by King Alfonso XIII and his swearing-in that same day, as a result of his own resignation from the post on 31 December to trigger a cabinet reshuffle. It succeeded the first Romanones government and was the government of Spain from 31 December 1912 to 27 October 1913, a total of 300 days, or 9 months and 27 days.

The cabinet comprised members of the Liberal Party and one military officer.

Formation

Overview

The Spanish Constitution of 1876 enshrined Spain as a semi-constitutional monarchy during the Restoration period, awarding the monarch—under the royal prerogative—the power to appoint government members (including the prime minister); the ability to grant or deny the decree of dissolution of the Cortes , or the adjournment of legislative sessions, to the incumbent or aspiring government that requested it; and the capacity to inform, inspect and ultimately control executive acts by granting or denying the signature of royal decrees; among others. ^{[1] [2]}

The monarch would play a key role in the turno system by appointing and dismissing governments, which would then organize elections to provide themselves with a parliamentary majority. ^[3] As a result, governments during this period were dependent on royal confidence, which was frequently secured or lost based on the leaders' ability to guarantee the internal unity and parliamentary cohesion of their parties. ^{[4] [5]} In practice, the royal prerogative was not exercised freely by the monarch, but was carried out through the opening of a round of consultations—with the presidents of the chambers, the leaders of the main parties, the potential candidates and other notable figures—prior to government formation, or when prime ministers raised a matter of confidence to the monarch. ^[6]

Cabinet crisis

The signing of the Treaty between France and Spain regarding Morocco on 27 November 1912, its subsequent ratification in the Cortes, and the approval of the 1913 budget, meant that the purpose of the transitional government formed under the Count of Romanones following the assassination of José Canalejas was fulfilled, with the political situation requiring of a more stable government. ^[7] Conservative elements (under the cover of an intense propaganda campaign led by the conservative press, most notably the newspaper La Época) had persistently advocated for a change in government in favour of party leader Antonio Maura. ^[8] The internal unity of the Liberal Party—broken since the death of Práxedes Mateo Sagasta in 1903 and only temporarily secured by Canalejas's leadership—was perceived as key for maintaining Alfonso XIII's confidence and, with it, the government; once having secured the support of former leaders and prime ministers Segismundo Moret and Eugenio Montero Ríos, Romanones chose to raise a matter of confidence to the King. ^[9]

Consultations King of Spain
Date	Consultee	Office/position	Party
31 December 1912	Count of Romanones	Prime Minister President of the Congress of Deputies (former)		Liberal Party
Nominations
Outcome →	Nomination of the Count of Romanones (Liberal) Accepted
Sources [10]

Romanones, tasked by King Alfonso XIII with forming a cabinet of his own, formed a government comprising members of the Liberal Party and one military officer. ^[11]

Council of Ministers

The Council of Ministers was structured into the office for the prime minister and eight ministries. ^[11]

← Romanones II Government → (31 December 1912 – 27 October 1913)
Portfolio	Name	Party		Took office	Left office	Ref.
Prime Minister	Count of Romanones		Liberal	31 December 1912	24 May 1913	[12]
Minister of State	Juan Navarro Reverter		Liberal	31 December 1912	13 June 1913	[13]
Minister of Grace and Justice	Antonio Barroso y Castillo		Liberal	31 December 1912	24 May 1913	[13]
Minister of War	Agustín de Luque		Military	31 December 1912	27 October 1913	[13]
Minister of the Navy	Amalio Gimeno		Liberal	31 December 1912	27 October 1913	[13]
Minister of Finance	Félix Suárez-Inclán		Liberal	31 December 1912	27 October 1913	[13]
Minister of Governance	Santiago Alba		Liberal	31 December 1912	27 October 1913	[14]
Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts	Antonio López Muñoz		Liberal	31 December 1912	13 June 1913	[14]
Minister of Development	Miguel Villanueva		Liberal	31 December 1912	24 May 1913	[14]
Portfolio	Name	Party		Took office	Left office	Ref.
Prime Minister Minister of Grace and Justice	Count of Romanones		Liberal	24 May 1913	13 June 1913	[15]
Minister of Development	Rafael Gasset		Liberal	24 May 1913	27 October 1913	[16]
Portfolio	Name	Party		Took office	Left office	Ref.
Prime Minister	Count of Romanones		Liberal	13 June 1913	27 October 1913	[17]
Minister of State	Antonio López Muñoz		Liberal	13 June 1913	27 October 1913	[18]
Minister of Grace and Justice	Pedro Rodríguez de la Borbolla		Liberal	13 June 1913	27 October 1913	[19]
Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts	Joaquín Ruiz Jiménez		Liberal	13 June 1913	27 October 1913	[20]

Notes

1. Does not include the prime minister.

References

1. Calero 1987, p. 275.
2. Constitution (1876) , arts. 32 & 54.
3. Martorell Linares 1997, pp. 139–143.
4. Calero 1987, pp. 283–289.
5. Ferrera Cuesta, Carlos (2022). "Personajes: Segismundo Moret y Prendergast". Historia Hispánica (in Spanish). Royal Academy of History . Retrieved 18 August 2025.: "... according to the political practice of the Restoration, since voters did not determine majorities due to electoral manipulation, the requirement demanded of any leader to retain power was to guarantee the unity of the Party. [Spanish: ... según la práctica política de la Restauración, dado que los votantes no determinaban las mayorías a causa de la manipulación electoral, el requisito exigido a cualquier líder para conservar el poder pasaba por garantizar la unidad del Partido.]"
6. Calero 1987, pp. 289–291.
7. Soldevilla 1913, pp. 548–550 & 554–556.
8. Soldevilla 1913, pp. 523–524, 543, 549, 552–553 & 556–557.
9. Soldevilla 1913, pp. 550–551 & 557–559.
10. Soldevilla 1913, pp. 557–562.
11. Soldevilla 1913, pp. 562–563.
12. "Real decreto nombrando Presidente del Consejo de Ministros a D. Álvaro Figueroa y Torres, Conde de Romanones" (PDF). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish) (1). State Agency for the Official State Gazette: 6. 1 January 1913.
13. "Reales decretos nombrando Ministros de Estado, Gracia y Justicia, Guerra, Marina, y Hacienda, a D. Juan Navarro Reverter, D. Antonio Barroso y Castillo, D. Agustín de Luque y Coca, D. Amalio Gimeno y Cabañas, y D. Félix Suárez Inclán" (PDF). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish) (1). State Agency for the Official State Gazette: 6. 1 January 1913.
14. "Reales decretos nombrando Ministros de Gobernación, Instrucción Pública y Bellas Artes, y Fomento, a D. Santiago Alba y Bonifaz, D. Antonio Barroso y Castillo, D. Agustín de Luque y Coca, D. Amalio Gimeno y Cabañas, y D. Félix Suárez Inclán" (PDF). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish) (1). State Agency for the Official State Gazette: 7. 1 January 1913.
15. "Real decreto nombrando Ministro de Gracia y Justicia a D. Álvaro Figueroa y Torres, Conde de Romanones, Presidente del Consejo de Ministros" (PDF). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish) (145). State Agency for the Official State Gazette: 562. 25 May 1913.
16. "Real decreto nombrando Ministro de Fomento a D. Rafael Gasset y Chinchilla, Diputado á Cortes" (PDF). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish) (145). State Agency for the Official State Gazette: 562. 25 May 1913.
17. "Real decreto admitiendo la dimisión del cargo de Ministro de Gracia y Justicia a D. Álvaro Figueroa y Torres, Conde de Romanones, Presidente del Consejo de Ministros" (PDF). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish) (165). State Agency for the Official State Gazette: 766. 14 June 1913.
18. "Real decreto nombrando Ministro de Estado a D. Antonio López Muñoz, Senador del Reino" (PDF). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish) (165). State Agency for the Official State Gazette: 766. 14 June 1913.
19. "Real decreto nombrando Ministro de Gracia y Justicia a D. Pedro Rodríguez de la Borbolla Amoscótegui, Diputado a Cortes" (PDF). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish) (165). State Agency for the Official State Gazette: 766. 14 June 1913.
20. "Real decreto nombrando Ministro de Instrucción Pública y Bellas Artes a D. Joaquín Ruiz Jiménez, Diputado a Cortes" (PDF). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish) (165). State Agency for the Official State Gazette: 766. 14 June 1913.

Bibliography

• Constitución de la Monarquía Española (PDF) (Constitution). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish). King of Spain. 30 June 1876. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
• Soldevilla, Fernando (1913). El Año Político 1912 (in Spanish). Madrid: National Library of Spain . Retrieved 3 September 2025.
• Soldevilla, Fernando (1914). El Año Político 1913 (in Spanish). Madrid: National Library of Spain . Retrieved 25 August 2025.
• Calero, Antonio María (1987). "La prerrogativa regia en la Restauración: teoría y práctica (1875-1902)" (PDF). Revista de Estudios Políticos (in Spanish) (55). Madrid: Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies: 273–315. ISSN   0048-7694.
• Martorell Linares, Miguel Ángel (1997). "La crisis parlamentaria de 1913-1917. La quiebra del sistema de relaciones parlamentarias de la Restauración" (PDF). Revista de Estudios Políticos (in Spanish) (96). Madrid: Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies: 137–161. ISSN   0048-7694.

External links

• The governments of the third period of the Liberal Party (1909–1913) (under Alfonso XIII). Lluís Belenes i Rodríguez History Page (in Spanish).

Preceded by Romanones I

Government of Spain 1912–1913

Succeeded by Dato I