History Paper

The kingdom of Spain is a country located in southern Europe.  It is the largest country in southern Europe and covers an area of approximately 505,990 km2. It has a population of 47.3 million, making it the sixth most populated country in Europe. The capital city is Madrid, which the largest city, followed by Barcelona, the capital city of Catalonia.  The country’s official and national language is Spanish. Co-official languages in Spain include Catalan, Basque, Galician as well as Occitan.  The kingdom of Spain is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, the Balearic Sea, the Alboran sea, France, Portugal and Andorra.   The country has a strong economy, ranking as the thirteenth largest economy by nominal GDP globally.

The type of government system that is used in Spain is a parliamentary monarch. This is a constitutional monarch based on the framework developed by the constitution of 1978. Under this government system, the monarch is recognized as the head of state, while the prime minister is head of government.  By declaring the country to be a parliamentary monarchy, the Spanish constitution clarifies that the king is not sovereign, but rather sovereignty belongs to the people. The monarch is hereditary and serves as a historical symbol of the country’s history. Felipe VI is the current ruling monarch, and he has been king since 2014. The Spanish political system functions as a multi-party democracy. Each political party has its own representatives during the election. Representatives vying for the Congress Deputies are elected via proportional representation in which political parties gain seats in relation to the number of votes they acquire. On the other hand, most senators are chosen by popular vote while the rest appointed by the regional legislature.  The Spanish politics have largely been dominated by the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party and People’s Party. Other significant parties in the country include United We Can, Citizens, Republican Left of Catalonia, together for Catalonia, Basque Country Unite (EHB), Animalist Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (PACMA), Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), Sum Navarre (NA) and Regionalist Party Of Cantabria (PRC).

During the general election, all the parties strive to obtain an overall majority. Where no party obtains a general majority, the parties with the majority form a coalition to help them get a general majority. Elections in Spain are held after every four years. The last general election was held in 2019, and the next is expected to be held in 2023. After the election, the king proposes a candidate who is to serve as the prime minister to the congress of deputies. Congress grants the candidate the prime minister position by absolute majority. The king then nominates the candidate formally as the prime minister. In practice, this candidate is usually the leader of the political party with the majority. Currently, the prime minister is Pedro Sanchez who came to power in 2018 to replace Mariano Rajoy. He is from the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party. The prime minister individuals who will serve as the deputy prime ministers as well as other ministers. After receiving the proposal, the king then appointed them to their respective positions.  The prime minister serves as the head of the executive. The executive comprises of the prime minister as the head of the government, deputy prime ministers as well as a council of ministers. The constitution gives the prime minister the authority of appointing and firing the ministers. The executive also has a council of state that offers advice to the president.

Spain has a bicameral parliament. The Spanish parliament, which is officially known as Cortes Generates, comprises of two houses, namely the senate and the Congress of Deputies. The congress of deputies serves as the chamber of popular representation. Currently the congress of deputies have 350 members of parliament. This chamber has the power of initiating legislation as well as rejecting or ratifying decree-laws implemented by the executive. The Senate is the house of territorial representation. Every province, elects four senators except for the insular provinces. The Senate has less power than the Senate, and its decisions can be overturned by the congress.

The constitution considers the Spanish judiciary as independent of the parliament and the executive. The judiciary is composed of different courts. The highest-ranking court is the supreme court, which is also referred to as tribunal supremo. This court consists of its president, deputy president, president of its 5 chambers as well as 84 senior judges. The general council usually elects the president of this court for the judiciary.

The kingdom of Spain is unique and different from other European countries. It has managed to preserve its traditional form of government and integrate it into its current government form. Spain was originally a kingdom before it developed into a democratic monarch. The king in Spain still plays a great role in the current government as the head of state. Like other countries, Spain continues to experience political issues that it has to deal with. This week the Guardian reported on lockdown conflict between national and regional authorities in Spain. The national government declared a state of emergency to put Madrid and 8 surrounding towns into a lockdown due to increased cases of COVID 19. The regional government protested this decision arguing that the lockdown would greatly affect the economy of Madrid. However, the national government remains unmoved, and the ministry of health has insisted the lockdown will continue.