Spain

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Spain Image File history File links Escudo_de_España. ...

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Politics of Spain takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy, whereby the Monarch is the Head of State and the President of the Government is the head of government and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Central legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of parliament. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Coat of Arms of the King of Spain King of Spain redirects here. ... Juan Carlos I, King of Spain (baptized as Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias) was born on January 5, 1938 in Rome and is the reigning King (Rey de España) and head of state of Spain. ... The President of the Government of Spain (Spanish: Presidente del Gobierno), sometimes known in English as the Prime Minister of Spain, is the Spanish head of government. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... (1977 - 1979): Council of Ministers of Spain (1st Legislature) (1979 - 1982): Council of Ministers of Spain (2nd Legislature) (1982 - 1986): Council of Ministers of Spain (3rd Legislature) (1986 - 1989): Council of Ministers of Spain (4th Legislature) (1989 - 1993): Council of Ministers of Spain (5th Legislature) (1993 - 1996): Council of Ministers... The Cortes Generales (Spanish for General Courts) is the legislature of Spain. ... The Spanish Senate (Spanish: Senado) is the upper house of the Cortes Generales, Spains legislative branch. ... The Spanish Congress of Deputies (Spanish: Congreso de los Diputados) is the lower house of the Cortes Generales, Spains legislative branch. ... The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest party not in government in Spanish Congress of Deputies. ... Political parties in Spain lists political parties in Spain. ... Elections in Spain gives information on election and election results in Spain. ... Won by a Mr Martin J Hollerwatch of 34 Clackton Road, Cumberbatch-On-Sea (El Partido Malvado - The Evil Party) through a sliding majority poll of fifty to something. ... Results for the 1979 Spanish general election Reference El País official webpage (spanish) Congreso de españa official webpage (spanish) ... PSOE and PSC presented two different candidatures: PSOE in Spain and PSC (Catalan Social Party) only in Catalunya. ... References El País official webpage (spanish) http://www. ... External links Official results Categories: Elections in Spain ... External links Official results Categories: | ... External links Official results Categories: Elections in Spain ... Legislative elections were held in Spain on March 12, 2000. ... Map of Spains electoral circumscriptions, and the parties leading in each circumscription in the election for the Congress of Deputies Legislative elections were held in Spain on March 14, 2004. ... The Constitutional Court of Spain (Spanish: Tribunal Constitucional de España) is the highest judicial body with the power to determine the constitutionality of acts and statutes of the Spanish Government. ... The General Council of the Judicial Power is the autonomous institution which governs all the judicial instances of Spain, such as tribunals, courts, and judges, as it is established by the Spanish Constitution of 1978, article 122. ... The Supreme Court of Spain is the highest judicial body in Spain for all matters not pertaining to the Constitution. ... The Audiencia Nacional de España, is a high court in Spain. ... An ombudsman (English plural: ombudsmans or ombudsmen) is an official, usually (but not always) appointed by the government or by parliament, who is charged with representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints reported by individual citizens. ... Autonomous communities of Spain. ... This article is about the Spanish capital. ... List of Spanish Regional Governments Spain has 17 autonomous regions (comunidades autonomas), plus two autonomous cities (ciudades autonomas). ... Andalucia - Parlamento de Andalucia Aragon - Cortes de Aragón Asturias - Junta del Principado Basque Country - Basque Parliament Canary Islands - Parlamento de Canarias Cantabria - Parlamento de Cantabria Castilla y León - Cortes de Castilla y León Castilla La Mancha - Cortes de Castilla La Mancha Catalonia - Parlament de Catalunya Extremadura - Asamblea... In addition to its seventeen autonomous communities, Spain is divided into fifty provinces. ... Officially, Spain is subdivided into: 17 autonomous communities (comunidades autónomas) and two autonomous cities (ciudades autónomas: Ceuta and Melilla). ... The municipalities of Spain (Spanish: municipios), 8111 in total, are the basic level of Spanish local government. ... Spain is a democracy with a Constitutional monarch. ... The European Union or EU is a supranational and international organization of 27 member states. ... After the return of democracy following the death of General Franco in 1975, Spains 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 the West. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in U.S. English), is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ... Representative democracy is a form of democracy founded on the exercise of popular sovereignty by the peoples representatives. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Coat of Arms of the King of Spain King of Spain redirects here. ... Queen Elizabeth II, is the Head of State of 16 countries including: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand and the Bahamas, as well as crown colonies and overseas territories of the United Kingdom. ... The President of the Government of Spain (Spanish: Presidente del Gobierno), sometimes known in English as the Prime Minister of Spain, is the Spanish head of government. ... The Head of Government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. ... Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, the executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law. ... A legislature is a governmental deliberative body with the power to adopt laws. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      In law, the judiciary or judicial is the system of courts which administer justice in the name of the sovereign or state, a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ...

Political developments

Parliamentary democracy was restored following the death of General Franco in 1975, who had ruled since the end of the civil war in 1939. The 1978 constitution established Spain as a parliamentary monarchy, with the Prime Minister responsible to the bicameral Cortes Generales (Cortes) elected every 4 years. On 23 February 1981, in an event known as the "23-F", rebel elements among the security forces seized the Cortes and tried to impose a military-backed government. However, the great majority of the military forces remained loyal to King Juan Carlos, who used his personal and constitutional authority as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to put down the bloodless coup attempt. A parliamentary system, or parliamentarism, is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ... Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde (4 December 1892–20th (or possibly 19th) November[1] 1975), commonly abbreviated to Francisco Franco (pron. ... Combatants Spanish Republic With the support of: Soviet Union[1] Nationalist Spain With the support of: Italy Germany Commanders Manuel Azaña Francisco Largo Caballero Juan Negrín Francisco Franco Gonzalo Queipo de Llano Emilio Mola José Sanjurjo Casualties 500,000[2] The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict... A constitutional monarchy is a form of government established under a constitutional system which acknowledges a hereditary or elected monarch as head of state. ... The President of the Government of Spain (Spanish: Presidente del Gobierno), sometimes known in English as the Prime Minister of Spain, is the Spanish head of government. ... The Cortes Generales (Spanish for General Courts) is the legislature of Spain. ... February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Antonio Tejero with a gun in his hand, breaking into the Congress of Deputies February 23, 1981, attempting a coup. ... Patrol boat, Nervion river, Bilbao. ... King Juan Carlos I His Majesty King Juan Carlos I (Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón), styled HM The King (born January 5, 1938), is the reigning King of Spain. ...

In October 1982, the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), led by Felipe González Márquez, swept both the Congress of Deputies and Senate, winning an absolute majority. González and the PSOE ruled for the next 13 years. During that period, Spain joined NATO and the European Community. Spain also developed social laws, as well as programmes in Education, Health and Work. The Spanish Socialist Workers Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Español or PSOE) is one of the main parties of Spain. ... Felipe González Márquez (born March 5, 1942) is a Spanish socialist politician. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague. ... The European Community (EC), more important of two European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ...

In March 1996, José María Aznar's People's Party (PP) received more votes than any other party, winning almost half the seats in the Congress. Aznar moved to liberalize the economy, with a program of privatizations, labor market reform, and measures designed to increase competition in selected markets, principally telecommunications. During Aznar's first term, Spain qualified for the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union. During this period, Spain participated, along with the United States and other NATO allies, in military operations in the former Yugoslavia. Spanish planes took part in the air war against Serbia in 1999 and Spanish armed forces and police personnel are included in the international peacekeeping forces in Bosnia (IFOR, SFOR) and Kosovo (KFOR). This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... From the left: Mariano Rajoy, Josep Piqué and José María Aznar during the proclamation act of Josep Piqué in September 2003 The Peoples Party (Spanish: Partido Popular) is a large liberal-conservative political party in Spain. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Labour economics seeks to understand the functioning of the market for labour. ... Competition is the act of striving against another force for the purpose of achieving dominance or attaining a reward or goal, or out of a biological imperative such as survival. ... In economics, a monetary union is a situation where several countries have agreed to share a single currency among them. ... The term Kosovo War or Kosovo Conflict is often used to describe two sequential and at times parallel armed conflicts (a civil war followed by an international war) in the southern Serbian province called Kosovo (officially Kosovo and Metohia), part of the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Motto none Anthem Intermeco Bosnia and Herzegovina() on the European continent()  —  [] Capital (and largest city) Sarajevo Official languages Bosnian Croatian Serbian Government Parliamentary democracy  -  Presidency members NebojÅ¡a Radmanović1 Haris Silajdžić2 Željko KomÅ¡ić3  -  Chairman of the Council of Ministers Nikola Å pirić  -  High Representative 4 Independence... The acronym IFOR may also refer to the International Fellowship of Reconciliation. ... Members of the Dutch, French, German and U.S. military watch as an Italian honour guard hoists the new Stabilisation Force flag during the Stabilisation Force (SFOR) activation ceremony in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the 20 of December 1996 Pocket badge of the SFOR The Stabilisation Force (SFOR) was... For uses of the name Kosova, see Kosova (disambiguation). ... Pocket badge of the KFOR The Kosovo Force (KFOR) is a NATO-led international force responsible for establishing and maintaining security in Kosovo. ...

President Aznar and the PP won reelection in March 2000, obtaining absolute majorities in both houses of parliament. This mandate allowed Aznar to form a government unencumbered by the coalition building that had characterized his earlier administration. Aznar is a staunch supporter of transatlantic relations and the War on Terrorism. For the March 2004 elections Aznar named First Vice President Mariano Rajoy to replace him as the People's Party candidate. A coalition is an alliance among entities, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest. ... This article is about U.S. actions after September 11, 2001. ... Map of Spains electoral circumscriptions, and the parties leading in each circumscription in the election for the Congress of Deputies Legislative elections were held in Spain on March 14, 2004. ... Mariano Rajoy Brey (born March 27, 1955), Spanish politician, is the leader of the opposition and of the conservative Popular Party, (PP). ...

However, in the aftermath of the March 11 terrorist bomb attacks in Madrid, the PP lost the 2004 elections to the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and its leader José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Rodríquez Zapatero was elected prime minister with the votes of PSOE and a few minor parties. He selected the first Spanish government ever to have the same number of male and female ministers. The Spanish Socialist Workers Party, commonly abbreviated by its Spanish initials, PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español), is a major party in Spain and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in 1833. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

The Crown

King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

Article 1.3. of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 lays down that "the political form of the Spanish State is that of a Parliamentary Monarchy".^[1] Image File history File links Juan_Carlos_2004. ... Image File history File links Juan_Carlos_2004. ... Juan Carlos I, King of Spain (baptized as Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias) was born on January 5, 1938 in Rome and is the reigning King (Rey de España) and head of state of Spain. ...

Art. 56 of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 lays down that:

1. The King is the Head of State and Supreme Commander in Chief of the armed forces, the symbol of its unity and permanence. He arbitrates and moderates the regular working of the institutions, assumes the highest representation of the Spanish State in international relation, especially with those nations belonging to the same historic community, and performs the functions expressly conferred on him by the Constitution and the law.

2. His title is King of Spain, and he may use the other titles appertaining to the Crown.

3. The person of the King is inviolable and shall not be held accountable. His acts shall always be countersigned in the manner established in Article 64. Without such countersignature they shall not be valid, except as provided under Article 65,2.

Art. 57 of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 lays down that:

1. The Crown of Spain shall inherited by the successors of H.M. Juan Carlos I de Borbon, the legitimate heir of the historic dynasty. Succession to the throne shall follow the regular order of primogeniture and representation, in the following order of precedence: the earlier shall precede the more distant; within the same degree, the male shall precede the female; and for the same sex, the older shall precede the younger.

Art. 62 of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 lays down that it is incumbent upon the King:

a) to veto or sanction the laws and promulgate them;

b) to summon and dissolve the Cortes Generales and to call elections;

c) to call a referendum;

d) to propose a candidate for President of the Government and, as the case may be, appoint him or remove him from office;

e) to appoint and dismiss members of the Government;

f) to issue the decrees agreed upon by the Council of Ministers, to confer civil and military employments and award honours and distinctions;

g) to keep himself informed regarding affairs of State and, for this purpose, to preside over the meetings of the Council of Ministers whenever he deems opportune;

h) to exercise supreme command of the Armed Forces;

i) to exercise the right to grant pardons;

j) to exercise the High Patronage of the Royal Academies.

Art. 63 of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 lays down that:

1. The King accredits ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives. Foreign representatives in Spain are accredited to him.

2. It is incumbent on the King to express the State's assent to the entering into of international commitments through treaties.

3. It is incumbent on the King, to declare war and to make peace.

Executive branch

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Spanish prime minister

Executive power in Spain lies with the Council of Ministers (Spanish Consejo de Ministros). It is headed by the president of the government (Prime Minister) who is elected by the lower house of parliament (Congress of Deputies) having to win a majority of votes in the first round of voting and a plurality in the successive rounds of voting. The Prime Minister designates the rest of the members of the Council (usually from his own party) and directs the activities of the government as a whole. The Prime Minister can also designate various vice presidents (although it is not mandatory). There is also a Council of State that is the supreme consultative organ of the government. FOTOZP es un servicio especialmente pensado para l@s profesionales de los medios de comunicación. ... FOTOZP es un servicio especialmente pensado para l@s profesionales de los medios de comunicación. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... ... President of the Government José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero First Vice President (2004 - ): María Teresa Fernández de la Vega Second Vice President (2004 - ): Pedro Solbes Minister of Agriculture and Fishing (2004 - ): Elena Espinosa Minister of Culture (2004 - ): Carmen Calvo Minister of Defence (2004 - ): José Bono Minister of Economy...

Legislative branch

On the national level, Spain directly elects a legislature, the Cortes Generales (literally: General Courts), which consists of two chambers, the Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados) and the Senate (Senado). The Congress and Senate serve concurrent terms that run for a maximum of four years. A legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws. ... The Cortes Generales (Spanish for General Courts) is the legislature of Spain. ... Image:WashingtonDC Capitol USA2. ... The Spanish Congress of Deputies (Spanish: Congreso de los Diputados) is the lower house of the Cortes Generales, Spains legislative branch. ... The Spanish Senate (Spanish: Senado) is the upper house of the Cortes Generales, Spains legislative branch. ...

There are two essential differences between the two houses. The first is by way of electoral practice. Both are elected on a provincial basis. The number of seats in Congress is allocated in proportion to population. However, this is only done after each province (with the exception of Ceuta and Melilla) has been given two members. The result of this is a slight over-representation for the smaller provinces. For example the smallest province, Soria, with an electorate of 78,531, elected 3 members of congress (or 1 for every 26,177 voters) while Madrid, the largest, with 4458540 voters, elected 35 members of congress (or 1 for every 127,387 voters). In the Senate the members are elected on a provincial basis ^[2]. The electoral system used is different with proportional party closed lists being used for Congress and the Senate elected by partial bloc voting. Additionally some senators are designated by the Autonomous legislatures. The second difference is in legislative power. With few exceptions, every law is approved with the votes of congress. The Senate can make changes or refuse laws but the Congress can ignore these amendments.

Political parties and elections

For other political parties see List of political parties in Spain. An overview on elections and election results is included in Elections in Spain.

Main article: Spanish legislative election, 2004

A political party is a political organization subscribing to a certain ideology or formed around very special issues. ... Political parties in Spain lists political parties in Spain. ... An election is a decision making process whereby people vote for preferred political candidates or parties to act as representatives in government. ... Elections in Spain gives information on election and election results in Spain. ... Legislative elections were held in Spain on March 14, 2004. ... The Spanish Congress of Deputies (Spanish: Congreso de los Diputados) is the lower house of the Cortes Generales, Spains legislative branch. ... The Spanish Socialist Workers Party, commonly abbreviated by its Spanish initials, PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español), is a major party in Spain and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in 1833. ... The Peoples Party (Spanish: Partido Popular) is the largest liberal conservative political party in Spain. ... United Left (Izquierda Unida) is a political coalition that was organized in 1986 during the mobilizations in Spain against NATO. It was formed by several groups of leftists, greens, left-wing socialists and republicans, but was always dominated by the Communist Party of Spain (PCE). ... Logo of the ICV Initiative for Catalonia - Greens (Iniciativa per Catalunya - Verds, ICV) is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. ... United and Alternative Left (Esquerra Unida i Alternativa) is a political party from Catalonia, Spain. ... Valencian Left (in Catalan: Esquerra Valenciana) is a historical nationalist Valencian left party founded the July 26 in 1934 that advocated the self-determination of the Valencian Country. ... United Left (Izquierda Unida) is a political coalition that was organized in 1986 during the mobilizations in Spain against NATO. It was formed by several groups of leftists, greens, left-wing socialists and republicans, but was always dominated by the Communist Party of Spain (PCE). ... Convergence and Unity (Convergència i Unió, CiU) is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. ... The Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya) is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. ... The Democratic Union of Catalonia is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. ... Logo of the Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) party. ... The Basque Nationalist Party is a political party in the Basque region of Spain. ... This article is part of or related to the Liberalism series Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | Liberal parties | Spanish political parties ... Categories: Politics stubs | Secessionist organizations | Spanish political parties ... The Andalucista Party (Partido Andalucista) is a party created by nacionalist and center forces cas a regional party in Andalusia (Spain) but it still has an important power in any capitals of Andalusia such as Cádiz or Seville. ... Aragonese Council The Chunta Aragonesista (CHA) is a regionalist and social democratic party of Aragon (a region of Spain), influenced by socialism and ecopacifism. ... Eusko Alkartasuna, Basque and Spanish regional political party, translated as Basque Solidarity and abbreviated as EA, is a party which describes itself as a Basque national, democratic, popular, progressive and non-denominational party. ... Navarre Yes or Nafarroa Bai (Basque) is a basque coalition of Navarre for the 2004 Spanish elections made of the Partido Nacionalista Vasco (Basque Nationalist Party), Eusko Alkartasuna (Basque Solidarity) and Aralar political parties, specifically candidating in Navarre aiming to win a seat in the spanish parliament, in which the... The Basque Nationalist Party is a political party in the Basque region of Spain. ... Eusko Alkartasuna, Basque and Spanish regional political party, translated as Basque Solidarity and abbreviated as EA, is a party which describes itself as a Basque national, democratic, popular, progressive and non-denominational party. ... Aralar is a Basque nationalist political group in Spain. ... The Spanish Senate (Spanish: Senado) is the upper house of the Cortes Generales, Spains legislative branch. ... The Spanish Socialist Workers Party, commonly abbreviated by its Spanish initials, PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español), is a major party in Spain and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in 1833. ... Logo of the Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) party. ... Logo of the Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya (PSC) party Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya (Socialist Party of Catalonia) is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. ... Logo of the ICV Initiative for Catalonia - Greens (Iniciativa per Catalunya - Verds, ICV) is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. ... United and Alternative Left (Esquerra Unida i Alternativa) is a political party from Catalonia, Spain. ... The Peoples Party (Spanish: Partido Popular) is the largest liberal conservative political party in Spain. ... Convergence and Unity (Convergència i Unió, CiU) is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. ... The Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya) is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. ... The Democratic Union of Catalonia is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. ... The Basque Nationalist Party is a political party in the Basque region of Spain. ... This article is part of or related to the Liberalism series Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | Liberal parties | Spanish political parties ...

Judiciary

The Spanish Judiciary is exercised by professional judges and Magistrate and composed of different courts depending on The Jurisditial Order and what is to be Judged, the highest ranking court of the judicial structure in Spain is the Supreme Court. The role of the judiciary is governed by the General Council of the Judiciary Power whose Chairperson is also the Chairperson of the Supreme Court. See also Audiencia Nacional. Judges may refer to the Book of Judges in the Bible more than one judge. ... A magistrate is a judicial officer. ... The Supreme Court of Spain is the highest judicial body in Spain for all matters not pertaining to the Constitution. ... The Audiencia Nacional de España, is a high court in Spain. ...

Administrative divisions

Spain Government is divided into 17 autonomous communities (comunidades autónomas, singular - comunidad autónoma); Andalucía (Andalusia), Aragón, Asturias, Illes Balears (Balearic Islands), Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Catalunya (Catalonia), Comunidad Valenciana (Land of Valencia), Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra (Navarre) and País Vasco (Basque Country).
Note: There are five places of sovereignty near Morocco: Ceuta and Melilla are administered as autonomous cities, with more powers than cities but fewer than autonomous communities; Islas Chafarinas, Peñón de Alhucemas, and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera are under direct Spanish administrations. Autonomous communities of Spain. ... Motto: Andalucía por sí, para España y la humanidad (Andalusia by herself, for Spain, and for humankind) Capital Seville Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 2nd  87,268 km²  17. ... Capital Zaragoza Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 4th  47,719 km²  9. ... Anthem: Asturias, patria querida Capital Oviedo Official language(s) Spanish; Asturian have special status Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 10th  10,604 km²  2. ... Capital Palma de Mallorca Official language(s) Spanish and Catalan Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 17th  4,992 km²  1. ... Capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 13th  7,447 km²  1. ... Anthem: Capital Barcelona Official language(s) Catalan,Spanish and Aranese. ... Capital Valencia Official languages Valencian (Catalan) and Spanish (Castilian) Area  – total  – % of Spain Ranked 8th  23 255 km²  4,6% Population  – Total (2003)  – % of Spain  – Density Ranked 4th  4 326 708  10,3%  186,05/km² Demonym  – English  – Valencian  – Spanish  Valencian  valenci... Capital Madrid Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 12th  8,030. ... Capital Pamplona (Basque: Iruña) Official language(s) Spanish; Basque co-official in the north of community. ... For the traditional overall Basque domain, see Basque Country (historical territory). ... Area  â€“ Total   28 km² Population  â€“ Total (2005)  â€“ Density  75,276  2688. ...  Spain Area  â€“ Total    20 km² (8 mi²) Population  â€“ Total (2006)  â€“ Density  66,871  3,343. ... 19th-century Spanish map showing the Chafarinas Islas Chafarinas is a group of three small islands located in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Morocco, 48 km (30 mi) to the east of Melilla and 3. ... 19th-century Spanish map showing the Peñón de Alhucemas Peñón de Alhucemas, or Lavender Rock, is one of the Spanish territories in North Africa off the Moroccan coast, along with the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, the island of Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera... 19th-century Spanish map showing the Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera is one of the Spanish territories on North Africa off the Moroccan coast (Plazas de soberanía), along with the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, the island...

Regional

The 1978 constitution authorised the creation of regional autonomous governments. By 1985, 17 regions covering all of peninsular Spain, the Canaries and the Balearic Islands had passed a Charter of Autonomy. In 1979, the first autonomous elections were held in the Basque and Catalan regions, which have the strongest local traditions by virtue of their separate languages. Since then, autonomous governments have been created in the remainder of the 17 regions. Autonomous communities of Spain. ...

The central government continues to devolve powers to the regional governments, which might eventually have full responsibility for health care and education, as well as other social programs. This process is limited by the exclusive powers of the state in the article 149 of the Spanish Constitution. Look up Devolution in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

All autonomous communities are ruled by a government elected by an unicameral legislature.

Spain is, at present, what is called a State of Autonomies, formally unitary but, in fact, functioning almost as a Federation of Autonomous Communities, each one with different powers (for instance, some have their own educational and health systems co-ordinated by the central government, co-official language and particular cultural identity) and laws. There are some differences within this system, since power has been devolved from the centre to the periphery asymmetrically, with some autonomous governments (especially those dominated by nationalist parties) seeking a more federalist kind of relationship with Spain, now the Central Government is dealing with autonomous governments for the transfer of more autonomy. This system of asymmetrical devolution has been described as a coconstitutionalism and has similarities to the devolution process adopted by the United Kingdom since 1997. At the same time, integration in the European Union causes the succession of powers from the state to the European institutions. A state is a political association with effective dominion over a geographic area. ... A map displaying todays federations. ... Autonomous communities of Spain. ... Look up Devolution in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Coconstitutional is where two institutional cultures exist in a complex semi-automous relationship to each other. ...

Provincial

In the communities with more than one province the government is held by the diputación provincial (literally Provincial Deputation). With the apparition of Autonomous Communities, deputations have lost much of its power except for those single-province communities, where deputations have been absorbed by the Autonomic power, and in the Basque Autonomous Community where the power of deputations remains very strong. The membership of provincial deputations is indirectly elected by citizens according to the results of municipal elections, and all of their members must be councillors of a town or city in the province, except in the Basque Provinces where direct elections take place. Some Spanish politicians have called for the suppression of provincial deputations. Basque Country (Basque Euskadi, Spanish País Vasco) is an autonomous community of Spain whose capital is Vitoria (Basque Gasteiz). ...

Provincial Deputations are considered by law as Local Administrations and are regulated by the Regulating Act of the Bases of the Local regime of 1985. 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Municipal

Spanish municipal administration is highly homogeneous, most of the municipalities having the same powers, such as municipal police, traffic enforcement, urban planning and development, social services, municipal taxes and civil defence, and the same rules of membership and leadership. Municipal police are the providers of general police services to cities and towns and other urban or populated areas. ... Urban planning is concerned with the ordering and design of settlements, from the smallest towns to the worlds largest cities. ... A social worker is a person employed in the administration of charity, social service, welfare, and poverty agencies, advocacy, or religious outreach programs. ... The old American Civil Defense logo, used today federally only as a historical reminder on FEMAs seal, the triangle emphasises the 3-step Civil Defense philosophy used before the foundation of FEMA and Comprehensive Emergency Management. ...

Most Spanish municipalities are ruled in a parliamentary style, where citizens elect the municipal council, that acts as a sort of legislative body, that is responsible for electing the mayor who can appoint a broad of governors out of councillors of his party or coalition as an executive. The only exception for this rule is in municipalities of under 50 inhabitants, which act as an open council, with a directly elected mayor and an assembly of neighbours as control and legislative body.

Membership of Municipal councils in Spain is chosen in municipal elections held every four years at the same time over Spain, and councillors are allotted using the D'Hondt method for proportional representation, with the exception of municipalities of under 100 inhabitants where bloc voting is used. The number of Councillors is determined by the population of the municipality, the smallest municipalities having 5 and Madrid (the biggest) 55. The DHondt method (equivalent to Jeffersons method) is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. ... Bloc voting (or block voting) (also called Plurality-at-large) refers to a class of voting systems which can be used to elect several representatives from a single constituency. ... Motto: De Madrid al Cielo (From Madrid to Heaven) Location Coordinates: Country Spain Autonomous Community Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid Province Madrid Administrative Divisions 21 Neighborhoods 127 Founded 9th century Government  - Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón (PP) Area  - Land 607 km² (234. ...

The nationality debate

Main article: Nationalities in Spain

In order to understand the political forces and debates in Spain we have to consider two dimensions: the Right vs. Left dimension and the Nation State vs. Plurinational State dimension. The political parties' agendas and the individual citizens' opinions can only be understood when looked at on both dimensions. The Constitution of the Kingdom of Spain states that 1) it is a Nation and 2) that it is formed by Nationalities and Regions. This statement is a contradiction (since Nationality and Nation essentially mean the same thing in political theory), but it was an agreement that struck a balance between the political parties advocating the nation state and those advocating the plurinational state. The territorial organization of Spain into Autonomous Communities of Spain is the administrative realization of this constitutional balancing act. Historically, the modern country of Spain was formed by the accretion of several independent Iberian realms through dynastic inheritance, conquest and the will of the local elites. ... A nation-state is a specific form of state, which exists to provide a sovereign territory for a particular nation, and which derives its legitimacy from that function. ... A nation-state is a specific form of state, which exists to provide a sovereign territory for a particular nation, and which derives its legitimacy from that function. ... Autonomous communities of Spain. ...

Historically, parties advocating the Nation State claim that there is only one Nation and favour a state with a centralised government (with some degree of regional decentralization). Nationalist Catalan, Basque and Galician political parties claim to represent their respective 'nations', different from the Spanish Nation. These political parties share the belief that the Kingdom of Spain is a state formed by four 'nations', namely the Catalan nation, the Basque nation, the Galician nation and what might be called the Castilian-Spanish nation (for lack of better word, since they would simply call it Spain). Some of these parties often mention Switzerland as a model of Plurinational State shared by German, French, and Italian nationalities, while others advocate independence. Notice that these nations/nationalities are related to, but different from the current administrative borders of the Autonomous Communities of Spain. One of the most influential doctrines in history is that all humans are divided into groups called nations. ... A state is a political association with effective dominion over a geographic area. ... A state is a political association with effective dominion over a geographic area. ... Anthem: Capital Barcelona Official language(s) Catalan,Spanish and Aranese. ... The Ikurriña, Basque flag Location of Territory of the Basque Country The Basque Country divided in seven provinces. ... Galicia (Spain) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Autonomous communities of Spain. ...

The current situation can be understood as the sum of two historical failures: 1) the Nation State parties were unable to build a unified Nation State such as France, the model that the political and territorial organization of Spain has followed, while 2) the "national resistance" movements (specially Catalans and Basques) were also unable to break free from the Spanish state. The term nation-state, while often used interchangeably with the terms unitary state and independent state, refers properly to the parallel occurence of a state and a nation. ... The term nation-state, while often used interchangeably with the terms unitary state and independent state, refers properly to the parallel occurence of a state and a nation. ... A state is a political association with effective dominion over a geographic area. ...

ETA & GRAPO

The Government of Spain has been involved in a long-running campaign against Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA), an armed secessionist organization founded in 1959 in opposition to Franco and dedicated to promoting Basque independence through violent means. They consider themselves a guerrilla organization. Although the Basque Autonomous government does not condone any kind of violence, their different approaches to the separatist movement are a source of tension between the central and Basque governments. ETA symbol or ETA (Basque for Basque Homeland and Freedom; IPA pronunciation: [) is a paramilitary Basque nationalist organization. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Look up guerrilla in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Initially ETA targeted primarily Spanish security forces, military personnel and Spanish Government officials. As the security forces and prominent politicians improved their own security, ETA increasingly focused its attacks on the tourist seasons (scaring tourists was seen as a way of putting pressure on the government, given the sector's importance to the economy) and local government officials in the Basque Country. The group carried out numerous bombings against Spanish Government facilities and economic targets, including a car bomb assassination attempt on then-opposition leader Aznar in 1995, in which his armored car was destroyed but he was unhurt. The Spanish Government attributes over 800 deaths to ETA during its campaign of terrorism. Polish armored car Ursus which saw combat during the Polish-German War of 1939. ...

On 17 May 2005, all the parties in the Congress of Deputies, except the PP, passed the Central Government's motion giving approval to the beginning of peace talks with ETA, without making political concessions and with the requirement that it give up its weapons. However political concessions have been made by Spanish Government and ETA has not given up its weapons yet. PSOE, CiU, ERC, PNV, IU-ICV, CC and the mixed group —BNG, CHA, EA y NB— supported it with a total of 192 votes, while the 147 PP parliamentarians objected. ETA declared a "permanent cease-fire" that came into force on March 24, 2006 and was broken by Barajas T4 International Airport Bombings on December 30, 2006. In the years leading up to the permanent cease-fire, the government had had more success in controlling ETA, due in part to increased security cooperation with French authorities.

Spain has also contended with a Marxist resistance group, commonly known as GRAPO. GRAPO is an urban guerrilla group that seeks to overthrow the Spanish Government and establish a Marxist state. It opposes Spanish participation in NATO and U.S. presence in Spain and has a long history of assassinations, bombings, bank robberies and kidnappings mostly against Spanish interests during the 1970s and 1980s. Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... GRAPO is the acronym of the military wing of one of the Spanish communist parties, the PCE (r), different from the Partido Comunista de España. ... Urban guerrilla refers to someone who fights a government or dictatorship using unconventional warfare in an urban environment (see: guerrilla tactics). ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague. ...

In a June 2000 communiqué following the explosions of two small devices in Barcelona, GRAPO claimed responsibility for several attacks throughout Spain during the past year. These attacks included two failed armored car robberies, one in which two security officers died, and four bombings of political party offices during the 1999-2000 election campaign. In 2002, Spanish authorities were successful in hampering the organization's activities through sweeping arrests, including some of the group's leadership. GRAPO is not capable of maintaining the degree of operational capability that they once enjoyed. Most members of the groups are either in jail or abroad.

Armed Islamic fundamentalism in Spain

Al Qaeda has been known to operate cells in Spain, both logistically to support operations in other countries and with the potential to mount attacks within Spain itself. Spanish investigative services and the judicial system have aggressively sought to arrest and prosecute their members, with the most notable raid occurring in Barcelona in January 2003. In that effort, Spanish authorities arrested 16 suspected terrorists and seized explosives and other chemicals. Spain also actively cooperates with foreign governments to diminish the transnational terrorist threat. Al-Qaeda (also al-Qaida or al-Qaida) (Arabic: ‎ , the base) is an international alliance of militant guerrilla organizations established in 1989 by Osama bin Laden for fighting the Soviet Unions Red Army in the Soviet war in Afghanistan. ...

Spain suffered a shocking terrorist attack, the March 11, 2004 Madrid attacks on its capital's commuter train network, killing 191. Al-Qaeda has been blamed for this attack. Some have attributed the fall of the Aznar government to this attack, which took place just four days before the 2004 elections. At first the Government and media blamed ETA for the bombing. When the public learned Al-Qaeda was the true culprit, many voters lashed out at the public media and Aznar's government, believing the two had colluded to deceive the public since the Spanish government's support of the war in Iraq might be blamed as the trigger for the attack, a war which a considerable number of Spaniards had opposed, and therefore, many Spaniards believed, Aznar's government had tried to deceive the public because of the elections. The scene of one of the Madrid bombings. ...

One of the first moves of Prime Minister Zapatero was to pull all Spanish troops out of Iraq, but at the same time he increased the amount of soldiers in Afghanistan, believing that the nation represented a clear terrorist threat.

Political pressure groups

• Business and landowning interests (CEOE, CEPYME);
• Free labour unions (authorised in April 1977, which meant the legalisation of previous clandestine unions and the creation of new ones). The most powerful unions are the Workers' Commissions or CC.OO. and the Socialist General Union of Workers or UGT. There are many others, in which workers unionise according to their trade or their ideology: Workers Syndical Union or USO, Solidarity of Basque Workers (ELA, Basque), Galician Inter-Unions Confederation (CIG, Galician).
• Catholic Church and Opus Dei campaign to influence governments' policies.
• Armed rebellion: Basque Country and Liberty or ETA and the First of October Anti-Fascist Resistance Group or GRAPO use violence to oppose the government. They are considered terrorists by the state and most of the population.

For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Workers Commissions (Comisiones Obreras, CCOO). ... Pablo Iglesias (Founder of UGT) The Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT, Workers General Union) is a major Spanish trade union, historically affiliated with the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE). ... USO is a TLA that may stand for: Unidentified submarine object Udaipur Solar Observatory Ultra stable oscillator Unidentified submarine object or Unidentified swimming object or Unidentified submersible object Union der Schülerorganisationen (uso. ... Euskal Langileen Alkartasuna, ELA, stands for Solidarity of Basque Workers and is the name of the major labour union of the Basque Country. ... CIG could stand for: The IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence and Games, an annual conference on artificial intelligence research related to game applications This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page—a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei Opus Dei, formally known as The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei, is an organization of the Catholic Church that emphasizes the Catholic belief that everyone is called to become a saint and that ordinary life is a path to... ETA symbol or ETA (Basque for Basque Homeland and Freedom; IPA pronunciation: [) is a paramilitary Basque nationalist organization. ... GRAPO is the acronym of the military wing of one of the Spanish communist parties, the PCE (r), different from the Partido Comunista de España. ...

International organization participation

Spain is member of AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, Zangger Committee IAEA The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), established as an autonomous organization on July 29, 1957, seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for military purposes. ... Official logo of the ICC. The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, crime of aggression, and war crimes, as defined by several international agreements, most prominently the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. ... The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is an international organization that works to promote and support global trade and globalization. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Alternative meanings at IOC (disambiguation) The International Olympic Committee is an organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894 to reinstate the Ancient Olympic Games held in Greece, and organize this sports event every four years. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague. ... OAS may stand for: Old Age Security Oracle Application Server Oral Allergy Syndrome Organisation de larmée secrète Organization of American States Office Automation Systems Option Adjusted Spread Oas, Albay is a municipality in the Philippines. ... The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organization of those developed countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and a free market economy. ... The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. ... This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (established December 14, 1950) protects and supports refugees at the request of a government or the United Nations and assists in their return or resettlement. ... Who can refer to: WHO, World Health Organization The Who, a British rock band The Guess Who, a Canadian rock band who (pronoun), an English language interrogative pronoun. ... The Zangger Committee, also known as the Nuclear Exporters Committee, sprang from Article III.2 of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) which entered into force on March 5, 1970. ...

References