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Spain (España)
Recent history
Spain was controlled by the Fascist dictator Francisco Franco until his death in 1975. In 1978 a constitution which
emphasises Spanish linguistic and cultural diversity was signed. Since then it has moved in the direction of
representative democracy. The Eurozone crisis has had a strong impact on the leadership of the country.
The current Spanish government is led by Mariano Rajoy of the centre-right People’s Party (PP), which won an absolute
majority (186 seats) in the 2011 election. Recent general elections put an end to the two-party system of the People’s
Party and the left-wing Socialist Workers’ Party that has dominated Spain for three decades. After inconclusive
elections in December 2015, another vote was called for June 2016. Rajoy still won the most votes, but now depends
on coalitions with other smaller parties to form a government.
Spain’s economy has been of grave concern since the economic crisis. In August 2011 the European Central Bank
announced it would buy Spanish Government Bonds so as to effectively inject money into the Spanish economy, due to
its rising debts. In response, Spain introduced a ‘golden rule’ amendment to its constitution which set a limit on the
The UK is a liberal democracy. This means that we democratically elect politicians, who
size of its budget deficit for the future. Despite implementing severe austerity measures, a banking bailout of up to
our
interests.
also involves
individual
rights
are protected.
€100 billion was requested in represent
2012. After
using
about It€41bn
in loans,that
Spain
exited the
bailout
programme in January
2014. The crisis also exacerbated Spain’s unemployment problems, with around a fifth of the population out of work.
The for
typethose
of liberal
we have
is awhom
constitutional
monarchy,
where the powers of
The situation is particularly bleak
aged democracy
16 – 25, nearly
half of
are unable
to find work.
the monarch are limited by the terms and conditions put down in the constitution.
How does a General Election actually work?
Unemployment rate
(2015)
22.7%
Public budget deficit/surplus
-2
-4
system
9.8% Parliamentary
-6
GDP per capita in PPS
(2013)
100
93
Spain
The UK
-8 has a parliamentary system of democratic governance. Unlike presidential and
semi-presidential
systems, there is an interconnection between
the legislative (lawEU
-10
making)
and executive (law-enforcing) branches of government in a parliamentary
-12
Spain
EU
system. In the
UK, this2012
means that
the executive
Queen and
2011
2013
2014 (consisting of the
Spain
EUthe
governments of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) is accountable to the
Government structure legislature or Parliament (House of Commons, House of Lords and devolved Assemblies in
Spain is a constitutional monarchy
Felipe Ireland).
VI is the Head of State. He appoints the Prime Minister (known as
Walesand
andKing
Northern
President of the Government) following a general election. The Spanish Parliament (Cortes) has two chambers: the
Congress of Deputies (Congreso
de los Diputados),
with 350
members elected
year terms,
the Senate
Appointed
Prime Minister
(or chancellor)
as Headfor
offour
Government
andand
a monarch
(or
(Senado), with 259 members also
elected
for
four
year
terms.
The
first
is
fully
elected
using
a
proportional
ceremonial president) as Head of State.
representation system, while in the second, 80% of the seats are directly elected, with the other seats filled by
appointments from the regional legislatures.
Spain has 17 autonomous regions, each with their own governments, parliaments, budgets and levels of autonomy.
The Basque Country, Galicia and Catalonia are particularly autonomous, with their own nationalities and languages.
However, the Spanish constitution expresses Spain’s indivisible unity and keeps the regions together.
First-Past-The-Post
Spain: key facts
Members of Parliament in the House of Commons are elected using the first-past-thepost electoral system. Each of the 650 voting constituencies in the UK are represented by
 Capital
Madrid
an MP. During the general and most local elections, the candidate with most of the votes
 Population
47 million (2014)
becomes the local representative. Candidates campaign door-to-door, hold debates and
 % of total EU population
9.2%
publish manifestos (comparable to shopping list of what they are planning to do once
 Official language
Spanish
they are in power). Eligible voters, about 46m in the UK, receive their polling card once
 Year of EU accession
1986
they register online, or they can vote by post.
 Currency
Euro since 1999
 with
Schengen
Yes,
sinceto
1995
Party
most ofArea
the member
votes is invited by the
Queen
form a government. If there is no

Seats
in
European
Parliament
54
clear winner, there is a hung Parliament. In this case, a minority or coalition government
can be formed. A minority government does not have an overall majority in Parliament. A
© CIVITAS Institute for the Study
of Civil Society
2015
Author:
Lucy Hatton,
11/2011
coalition
government
means that two or more political parties
agree
to share
power in
More EU factsheets: http://www.civitas.org.uk/eu-facts/
Last update: Anna Sonny, 06/2016
government. If that does not work out, new elections may be called.
Spain (España)
Spain and the EU
Spain had to make several changes in order to comply with the criteria
for EU accession, such as improving its infrastructure and revising its
economic legislation to meet the EU’s guidelines. The undertaking of
these changes contributed to strong economic growth for Spain over
the next two decades. Spain was a founder member of the Euro in 1999.
Spanish imports (2014)
From EU
43%
Yet Spain’s membership of the European Community was not without
states
initial controversy. Until Greece, Spain and Portugal joined the
From non-EU
57%
European Community in 1986, it had been largely a club of affluent,
states
northern European industrialised countries. The new members had
much poorer and more agricultural economies. The 1980s saw a major
expansion of EU regional aid to help bring poorer regions of these
countries closer to the European average. Spanish membership in
The UK is a liberal democracy. This means that we democratically elect politicians, who
particular also led to alteration of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)
represent
to accommodate its large fishing
fleet. our interests. It also involves that individual rights are protected.
How does a General Election actually work?
The type until
of liberal
democracy
we have is a constitutional monarchy, where the powers of
Spain held the 6-month EU Presidency
July 2010,
the first
theofmonarch
areTreaty.
limitedWhilst
by theitterms
presidency under the new rules
the Lisbon
was and conditions put down in the constitution.
Spanish exports (2014)
criticised for being a ‘low-key’ presidency, Spain did make progress on
Croatia’s EU accession talks and tried to develop the relationship
between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly with
Cuba.
Parliamentary system
36%
The UK has a parliamentary system of democratic governance.
Unlike
presidential and
To EU states
Spain has been significantly affected by immigration, which has caused
semi-presidential
systems,
there
is an interconnection between the legislative (lawsocial and economic tension. Romanians
form the
greatest
proportion
To non-EU
making)
and executive
(law-enforcing)
branches of government in a parliamentary
of those migrating to Spain, and
controversy
was sparked
in 2011 when
states
In the
UK, thisinmeans
that the
the
Spain denied work permits forsystem.
Romanian
migrants
an attempt
to executive (consisting of the Queen and64%
improve the unemployment rate,
going
against
the
fundamental
governments of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) is accountable to the
freedoms of the EU. However,legislature
the European
Commission
approved
the
or Parliament
(House
of Commons,
House of Lords and devolved Assemblies in
move and justified it by stating that limits are permissible in
Wales and Northern Ireland).
exceptional circumstances.
Appointed Prime Minister (or chancellor) as Head of Government and a monarch (or
president)
as HeadIslands
of State.
 Spain also includes theceremonial
Balearic Islands,
the Canary
and two North African enclaves
 The Spanish economy relies on tourism and agriculture, although it also has a significant construction industry
 There are over 500million Spanish speakers in the world, making it the world’s second most spoken first
language
Facts and figures
“Spain is a deeply pro-European country that has constructed its scale of democratic values and aspirations for
First-Past-The-Post
modernity and progress by looking to the rest of Europe as an example and as an ambition.”
Members
of Parliament
in the House
ofPM,
Commons
elected using the first-past-theJosé Luis
Zapatero, former
Spanish
1 June are
2010
post electoral system. Each of the 650 voting constituencies in the UK are represented by
Technical Terms
an MP. During the general and most local elections, the candidate with most of the votes
 Proportional Representation: an electoral system whereby the number of votes a party receives is directly proportional
becomes the local representative. Candidates campaign door-to-door, hold debates and
to the number of seats they are given in the legislative assembly
publishinmanifestos
to shopping
list of what
they are planning
to dobetween
once
 PPS: GDP per head is expressed
Purchasing(comparable
Power Standards
(PPS) to eliminate
the differences
in price levels
they are
in power).
Eligible
aboutcountries
46m in the UK, receive their polling card once
countries allowing meaningful
volume
comparisons
of voters,
GDP between
they register online, or they can vote by post.
Links



http://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/lang/en/Paginas/index.aspx
Party with most of the votes is invited by the Queen to form a government. If there is no
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat
clear winner, there is a hung Parliament. In this case, a minority or coalition government
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2145.html
can be formed. A minority government does not have an overall majority in Parliament. A
© CIVITAS Institute for the Study
of Civil Society
2015
Author:
Lucy Hatton,
11/2011
coalition
government
means that two or more political parties
agree
to share
power in
More EU factsheets: http://www.civitas.org.uk/eu-facts/
Last update: Anna Sonny, 06/2016
government. If that does not work out, new elections may be called.