Senate of Spain
Senate of Spain Senado de España | |
---|---|
XII Legislature | |
Type | |
Type | Upper house |
History | |
Founded | 1837 (disband 1923–1977) 1978 (reinstituted) |
Leadership | |
President | Pío García-Escudero (PP) Since 13 December 2011 |
First Vice President | Pedro Sanz Alonso (PP) |
Second Vice President | Joan Lerma (PSOE) |
Majority leader | Ignacio Cusidó (PP) |
Minority leader | Andrés Gil García (PSOE) |
Structure | |
Seats | 266 |
Political groups | Government (62)
Confidence and supply (49)
Opposition (155)
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Elections | |
Voting system | Limited voting |
Meeting place | |
Palacio del Senado Centro, Madrid Kingdom of Spain | |
Website | |
www.senado.es |
The Senate (Spanish: Senado) is the upper house of Spain's parliament, the Cortes Generales. It is made up of 265 members: 208 elected by popular vote, and 57 appointed by the regional legislatures. All senators serve four-year terms, though regional legislatures may recall their appointees at any time.
Contents
1 History
2 Organization
3 Elections to the Senate
3.1 Directly elected members
3.2 Regional legislatures-appointed members
4 Composition
5 Role
6 Presidents of the Senate of Spain
6.1 Kingdom of Spain (Democratic Sexennium; 1868–1873)
6.2 Kingdom of Spain (Restoration; 1874–1931)
6.3 Kingdom of Spain (1975–present)
7 Notes
8 References
9 External links
History
The Senate was first established under the constitution of 1837 under the regency of Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies. It remained under the regimes of the constitutions of 1845, 1856, 1869 and 1876. It was composed, at that latter time, of three main categories: senators by their own right, senators for life and senators elected. This chamber, along with the Congress of Deputies, was suppressed after the coup of General Miguel Primo de Rivera in 1923.
Only after the Spanish transition to democracy in 1978 was it reestablished.
Organization
Senators form groups along party lines. Parties with fewer than ten senators form the Mixed Group. If the membership of an existing group falls below six during a session, it is merged into the Mixed Group at the next session. For example, Coalición Canaria lost its senate caucus in 2008 after electoral losses reduced its group from six to two. The Basque Nationalist Party, falling from seven to four, "borrowed" senators from the ruling Socialist Party to form their group; in exchange, they supported the election of socialist Javier Rojo as President of the Senate. The PNV group is again under threshold after returning the borrowed Socialists, and it faces dissolution after the current session.
Legally, 133 seats are required for an absolute majority, vacant seats notwithstanding.
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Elections to the Senate
To date, senate elections have coincided with elections to the lower house, but the President of the Government (i.e., the Prime Minister) may legally advise the king to call elections for one chamber only, under article 115 of the Spanish Constitution. While the Congress of Deputies is chosen by party list proportional representation, the members of the senate are chosen in two distinct ways: popular election by limited voting and appointment from regional legislatures.
Directly elected members
Most members of the senate (currently 208 of 266) are directly elected by the people. Each province elects four senators without regard to population. Insular provinces are treated specially. The larger islands of the Balearics (Baleares) and Canaries (Canarias)—Mallorca, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife—are assigned three seats each, and the smaller islands—Menorca, Ibiza–Formentera, Fuerteventura, Gomera, Hierro, Lanzarote and La Palma—one each; Ceuta and Melilla are assigned two seats each. This allocation is heavily weighted in favor of small provinces; Madrid, with roughly 6 million people, and Soria, with 100,000 inhabitants, are each represented by four senators.
In non-insular constituencies, each party nominates three candidates. Candidates' names are organized in columns by party on a large (DIN A3 or larger) ochre-colored ballot called a sábana or bedsheet.
Each voter may mark up to three candidates' names, from any party. This is the only occasion when Spanish voters vote for individuals rather than a party list. Panachage is allowed, but typically voters cast all three votes for candidates of a single party. As a result, the four Senators are usually the three candidates from the most popular party and the first placed candidate from the next most popular.
Before 2011, a party could not choose the order of its candidates on the ballot paper; candidates were sorted alphabetically by surname. When a party did not get all three of its candidates elected, this arrangement favored candidates with surnames early in the alphabet. This was the case for 2nd placed parties in every province and for both parties in tight races when voters did not vote for three candidates of the same party (panachage).
Regional legislatures-appointed members
Article 69.5 of the Spanish Constitution empowers the legislative assembly of each autonomous community of Spain to appoint a senate delegation from its own ranks, with one Senator per one million citizens, rounded up. Demographic growth increased the combined size of the regional delegations from 51 to 56 in 2008 for the 9th term.
Conventionally, the proportions of the regional delegations mimic their legislative assemblies, as required in principle by Article 69.5 of the constitution. However, Autonomous Communities have considerable leeway, and a motion to appoint the delegation often requires no more than a plurality. Two anomalous examples are:
- After the 2007 election, the single senator from the Balearic Islands was from neither the largest bloc (the People's Party, with 28 of 59 seats), nor the second-largest (the PSOE, with 16), but in fact from the fourth-largest bloc, the Socialist Party of Majorca, which held only four of 59 seats. This arrangement was part of a five-party coalition agreement. This anomaly was resolved in 2008, when the Balearic Islands gained a second senate seat which was filled by the PP.
- Since 2003, the PSOE has ruled Aragon with support from regionalist parties. In the 2007 election, it won 30 of 67 seats. Nevertheless, Aragon's two appointed senators came from the opposition People's Party (23 seats) and the regionalist Aragonese Party (9 seats).
Due to population growth, Andalusia, the Balearic and Canary Islands, Catalonia, and Madrid each gained a new senator in 2008. Andalusia was the last Autonomous Community to allocate its new seat; it rebuilt its entire delegation after its 2008 regional elections. The distribution after the 2015 election was:
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Autonomous Community | Population (2017) | Senators | Senator/pop.-ratio | Distribution | |||||
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Andalusia | 8,403,350 | 9 | 933,706 |
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Aragon | 1,315,713 | 2 | 657,857 |
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Asturias | 1,030,055 | 2 | 515,028 |
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Balearic Islands | 1,160,591 | 2 | 580,296 |
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Basque Country | 2,168,254 | 3 | 722,751 |
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Canary Islands | 2,164,344 | 3 | 721,488 |
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Cantabria | 581,109 | 1 | 581,109 |
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Castile and León | 2,423,875 | 3 | 807,958 |
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Castilla-La Mancha | 2,034,801 | 3 | 678,267 |
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Catalonia | 7,453,957 | 8 | 931,745 |
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Extremadura | 1,072,884 | 2 | 536,442 |
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Galicia | 2,703,662 | 3 | 901,221 |
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La Rioja | 312,423 | 1 | 312,423 |
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Madrid | 6,506,437 | 7 | 929,491 |
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Murcia | 1,474,071 | 2 | 737,036 |
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Navarre | 641,345 | 1 | 641,345 |
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Valencian Community | 4,932,302 | 6 | 822,050 |
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Total | 46,549,045 | 58 | 802,570 | Source: [1] |
Composition
The last election was held on 26 June 2016. The composition of the 12th Senate is:
Parliamentary group | Elected | App. | Total |
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People's Party Group in the Senate | 127 | 20 | 147 | ||
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People's Party | 126 | 20 | 145 | ||
Aragonese Party | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Socialist Group | 42 | 20 | 62 | ||
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Spanish Socialist Workers' Party | 40 | 18 | 58 | ||
Socialists' Party of Galicia | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
Socialists' Party of Catalonia | 0 | 1 | 1 |
United We Can–In Common We Can–En Masse Group | 14 | 6 | 20 | ||
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We Can | 10 | 5 | 15 | ||
In Common We Can | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
United Left | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
Catalonia in Common–We Can | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Republican Left Group | 10 | 2 | 12 | |
Basque Group in the Senate (EAJ/PNV) | 5 | 1 | 6 |
Nationalist Group (PDeCAT–CC–PNC–AHI) | 3 | 3 | 6 | ||
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Catalan European Democratic Party | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
Canarian Coalition | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
Independent Herrenian Group | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Mixed Group | 7 | 6 | 13 | ||
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Citizens–Party of the Citizenry | 0 | 4 | 4 | ||
Commitment Coalition | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
Navarrese People's Union | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
People's Party | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
Independent | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
Asturias Forum | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
New Canaries | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
Gomera Socialist Group | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
Basque Country Unite | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Total | 208 | 58 | 266 |
Role
The Spanish parliamentary system is bicameral but asymmetric. The Congress of Deputies has more independent functions, and it can also override most Senate measures. Only the Congress can grant or revoke confidence to a Prime Minister. In the ordinary lawmaking process, either house may be the initiator, and the Senate can amend hostilely or veto, the proposal then being sent back to the lower house, which can override these objections by an absolute majority vote. Organic laws, which govern basic civil rights and regional devolutions, need an absolute majority of both congress and senate to pass.
The process for constitutional amendments is slightly more tangled: the rule is to require a three fifths (60%) of both houses, but if the Senate does not achieve such a supermajority and a mixed congress-senate committee fails to resolve the issues, the Congress may force the amendment through with a two-thirds vote as long as an absolute majority of the Senate was in favour.
On the other hand, the Senate has certain exclusive functions in the appointment of constitutional posts, such as judges of the Constitutional Court or the members of the General Council of the Judicial Power. The Senate is solely responsible for disciplining regional presidents (article 155 of the Spanish Constitution). Only the Senate can suspend local governments. (Local Regime Framework Act article 61.[1]) It exercised this power in April 2006, dissolving the Marbella city council when most of its members were found to have engaged in corrupt practices.
On Friday, October 26, 2017, the Senate of Spain (Senado) voted 214 to 47 to invoke Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution over Catalonia. Article 155 powers gave Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy to remove secessionist politicians, including Mr. Puigdemont, the Catalan leader and direct rule from Madrid.
Senate reform has been a topic of discussion since the early days of Spanish democracy.
One proposal would advance the federalization of Spain by remaking the Senate to represent the autonomous communities of Spain.
Presidents of the Senate of Spain
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Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Tenure (Years and days) | Party | Legislature | Monarch (Reign) | Ref. | |
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Francisco Santa Cruz President of the Senate (1797–1883) | 2 April 1871 — 17 September 1872 | 1 year, 229 days | Constitutional Party | 1871–1872 1872 I (1871) | Amadeo I (1871–1873) | [2] [3] | ||
1872 II (Apr 1872) | ||||||||
Laureano Figuerola President of the Senate (1816–1903) | 17 September 1872 — 11 February 1873 | 86 days | Constitutional Party | 1872–1873 (Aug 1872) | [4] [5] | |||
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Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Tenure (Years and days) | Party | Legislature | Monarch (Reign) | Ref. | |
Manuel García Barzanallana Marquis of Barzanallana President of the Senate (1817–1892) | 24 April 1877 — 18 September 1881 | 4 years, 208 days | Conservative Party | 1876 (1876) | Alfonso XII (1874–1885) | [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] | ||
1877 1878 Ext. 1878 (1877) | ||||||||
1879–1880 1880–1881 (1879) | ||||||||
José Gutiérrez de la Concha 1st Marquis of Havana President of the Senate (1809–1895) | 18 September 1881 — 12 December 1883 | 2 years, 24 days | Liberal Party | 1881–1882 1882–1883 1883–1884 (1881) | [11] [12] | |||
Francisco Serrano 1st Duke of la Torre President of the Senate (1810–1885) | 12 December 1883 — 16 May 1884 | 156 days | Dynastic Left | [13] | ||||
Francisco Javier Arias Dávila y Matheu 12th Count of Puñonrostro President of the Senate (1812–1890) | 16 May 1884 — 23 December 1885 | 1 year, 221 days | Conservative Party | 1884–1885 1885–1886 (1884) | [14] | |||
Maria Christina of Austria (1885–1902) Regent for Alfonso XIII | ||||||||
Arsenio Martínez-Campos President of the Senate (1831–1900) | 23 December 1885 — 8 May 1886 | 136 days | Liberal Party | [15] | ||||
José Gutiérrez de la Concha 1st Marquis of Havana President of the Senate (1809–1895) | 8 May 1886 — 27 February 1891 | 4 years, 295 days | Liberal Party | 1886 1887 1887–1888 1888–1889 1889–1890 (1886) | [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] | |||
Arsenio Martínez-Campos President of the Senate (1831–1900) | 27 February 1891 — 3 April 1893 | 2 years, 35 days | Liberal Party | 1891–1893 1893–1894 1894–1895 (1891) | [21] | |||
José Gutiérrez de la Concha 1st Marquis of Havana President of the Senate (1809–1895) | 3 April 1893 — 10 November 1894 | 1 year, 221 days | Liberal Party | [22] | ||||
Eugenio Montero Ríos President of the Senate (1832–1914) | 10 November 1894 — 7 May 1896 | 1 year, 179 days | Liberal Party | [23] | ||||
José de Elduayen 1st Marquis of the Pazo de la Merced President of the Senate (1823–1898) | 7 May 1896 — 18 April 1898 | 1 year, 346 days | Conservative Party | 1896–1898 (1896) | [24] | |||
Eugenio Montero Ríos President of the Senate (1832–1914) | 18 April 1898 — 30 May 1899 | 1 year, 42 days | Liberal Party | 1898–1899 (1898) | [25] | |||
Arsenio Martínez-Campos President of the Senate (1831–1900) | 30 May 1899 — 23 September 1900[†] | 1 year, 116 days | Liberal Party | 1899–1900 1900–1901 (1899) | [26] | |||
Marcelo Azcárraga Palmero President of the Senate (1832–1915) | 18 October 1900 — 8 November 1900 | 21 days | Conservative Party | [27] [28] | ||||
Manuel Aguirre de Tejada Count of Tejada de Valdosera President of the Senate (1827–1911) | 8 November 1900 — 8 June 1901 | 212 days | Conservative Party | [29] | ||||
Eugenio Montero Ríos President of the Senate (1832–1914) | 8 June 1901 — 15 May 1903 | 1 year, 341 days | Liberal Party | 1901–1902 1902–1903 (1901) | [30] [31] | |||
Alfonso XIII (1902–1931) | ||||||||
Marcelo Azcárraga Palmero President of the Senate (1832–1915) | 15 May 1903 — 9 October 1905 | 2 years, 147 days | Conservative Party | 1903–1904 1904–1905 (1903) | [32] [33] | |||
José López Domínguez President of the Senate (1829–1911) | 9 October 1905 — 17 September 1906 | 343 days | Liberal Party | 1905–1907 (1905) | [34] | |||
Eugenio Montero Ríos President of the Senate (1832–1914) | 17 September 1906 — 10 May 1907 | 235 days | Liberal Party | [35] | ||||
Marcelo Azcárraga Palmero President of the Senate (1832–1915) | 10 May 1907 — 9 June 1910 | 3 years, 30 days | Conservative Party | 1907–1908 1908–1909 1909–1910 (1907) | [36] [37] [38] | |||
Eugenio Montero Ríos President of the Senate (1832–1914) | 9 June 1910 — 11 June 1913 Acting until 8 November 1913 | 3 years, 2 days | Liberal Party | 1910–1911 1911–1914 (1910) | [39] [40] [41] | |||
Marcelo Azcárraga Palmero President of the Senate (1832–1915) | 8 November 1913 — 30 May 1915[†] | 1 year, 203 days | Conservative Party | [42] [43] | ||||
1914–1915 1915–1916 (1914) | ||||||||
Joaquín Sánchez de Toca President of the Senate (1852–1942) | 25 June 1915 — 6 May 1916 | 316 days | Conservative Party | [44] [45] | ||||
Manuel García Prieto 1st Marquis of Alhucemas President of the Senate (1859–1938) | 6 May 1916 — 31 May 1917 | 1 year, 25 days | Liberal Democrats | 1916 1917–1918 (1916) | [46] [47] | |||
Alejandro Groizard President of the Senate (1830–1919) | 31 May 1917 — 23 June 1919 | 2 years, 23 days | Liberal Party | [48] [49] | ||||
1918–1919 (1918) | ||||||||
Manuel Allendesalazar President of the Senate (1856–1923) | 23 June 1919 — 15 December 1919 | 175 days | Conservative Party | 1919–1920 (1919) | [50] | |||
Joaquín Sánchez de Toca President of the Senate (1852–1942) | 15 December 1919 — 26 May 1923 | 3 years, 162 days | Conservative Party | [51] [52] [53] | ||||
1921–1922 1922–1923 (1921) | ||||||||
Álvaro de Figueroa 1st Count of Romanones President of the Senate (1863–1950) | 26 May 1923 — 15 September 1923 | 112 days | Liberal Party | 1923 (1923) | [54] [55] | |||
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Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Tenure (Years and days) | Party | Legislature | Monarch (Reign) | Ref. | |
Antonio Fontán President of the Senate (1923–2010) | 13 July 1977 — 2 January 1979 | 1 year, 173 days | Union of the Democratic Centre | Constituent (1977) | Juan Carlos I (1975–2014) | |||
Cecilio Valverde President of the Senate (1927–2001) | 27 April 1979 — 31 August 1982 | 3 years, 126 days | Union of the Democratic Centre | I (1979) | ||||
José Federico de Carvajal President of the Senate (1930–2015) | 18 November 1982 — 2 September 1989 | 6 years, 349 days | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party | II (1982) | ||||
III (1986) | ||||||||
Juan José Laborda President of the Senate (born 1947) | 21 November 1989 — 9 January 1996 | 6 years, 49 days | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party | IV (1989) | ||||
V (1993) | ||||||||
Juan Ignacio Barrero President of the Senate (born 1943) | 27 March 1996 — 8 February 1999 | 2 years, 318 days | People's Party | VI (1996) | ||||
Esperanza Aguirre President of the Senate (born 1952) | 8 February 1999 — 21 October 2002 | 3 years, 255 days | People's Party | |||||
VII (2000) | ||||||||
Juan José Lucas President of the Senate (born 1944) | 22 October 2002 — 20 January 2004 | 1 year, 90 days | People's Party | |||||
Javier Rojo President of the Senate (born 1949) | 2 April 2004 — 27 September 2011 | 7 years, 178 days | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party | VIII (2004) | ||||
IX (2008) | ||||||||
Pío García-Escudero President of the Senate (born 1952) | 13 December 2011 — Incumbent | 6 years, 273 days | People's Party | X (2011) | ||||
Felipe VI (2014–present) | ||||||||
XI (2015) | ||||||||
XII (2016) |