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95-637: The prime minister of Spain , officially president of the Government (Spanish: Presidente del Gobierno ), is the head of government of Spain . The prime minister nominates the ministers and chairs the Council of Ministers . In this sense, the prime minister establishes the Government policies and coordinates the actions of the Cabinet members. As chief executive, the prime minister also advises
190-433: A self-governing colony , autonomous region , or other government who often presides over a cabinet , a group of ministers or secretaries who lead executive departments. In diplomacy , "head of government" is differentiated from " head of state ". The authority of a head of government, such as a president, chancellor, or prime minister, and the relationship between that position and other state institutions, such as
285-499: A broader sense, a head of government can be used loosely when referring to various comparable positions under a dominant head of state (especially is the case of ancient or feudal eras, so the term "head of government", in this case, could be considered a contradiction in terms). In this case, the prime minister serves at the pleasure of the monarch and holds no more power than the monarch allows. Some such titles are diwan, mahamantri , pradhan , wasir or vizier . However, just because
380-584: A cabinet-level post may have another title, such as ' Attorney-General ' or ' Postmaster-General '. The term 'minister' also is used in diplomacy, for a diplomat of the second class , such as in the title Minister Plenipotentiary , ranking between an Ambassador and a Minister Resident . The term minister comes from Middle English , deriving from the Old French word ministre , originally minister in Latin , meaning "servant, attendant", which itself
475-463: A cabinet-level post or other government official is not permitted to be a member of the legislature. Depending on the administrative arrangements in each jurisdiction, ministers are usually heads of a government department and members of the government's ministry, cabinet and perhaps of a committee of cabinet. Some ministers may be more senior than others, and some may hold the title ' assistant minister ' or ' deputy minister '. Some jurisdictions, with
570-519: A coalition agreement before their meeting with the Sovereign. Title IV of the Constitution defines the Government and its responsibilities. The Government consists of the prime minister and the ministers. The government conducts domestic and foreign policy , civil and military administration, and the defense of the nation all in the name of the monarch on behalf of the people. Additionally,
665-524: A failed motion of confidence, a motion of no confidence against the prime minister or the death of the prime minister. In the first three options, there is no succession, because the prime minister remains as caretaker prime minister until a new prime minister is elected by the Congress of Deputies. If the Prime Minister dies, the 1997 Government Act provides that the Prime Minister be succeeded by
760-422: A head of government is Prime Minister . This is used as a formal title in many states, but may also be an informal generic term to refer to whichever office is considered the principal minister under an otherwise styled head of state , as minister — Latin for servants or subordinates—is a common title for members of a government (but many other titles are in use, e.g. chancellor and secretary of state). Formally
855-782: A large number of ministers, may designate ministers to be either in the inner or outer ministry or cabinet. In some jurisdictions—such as Hong Kong , Mexico , the Philippines , the United Kingdom , and the United States —holders of an equivalent cabinet-level post are called secretaries (e.g., the Home Secretary in the United Kingdom, Secretary of State in the United States). Some holders of
950-594: A minister and is designated the ' prime minister ', ' premier ', ' chief minister ', ' chancellor ' or other title. In Commonwealth realm jurisdictions which use the Westminster system of government, ministers are usually required to be members of one of the houses of Parliament or legislature , and are usually from the political party that controls a majority in the lower house of the legislature. In other jurisdictions—such as Belgium , Mexico , Netherlands , Philippines , Slovenia , and Nigeria —the holder of
1045-502: A minority by adopting some aspects of the minor party platforms in an effort to attract them into parliamentary agreements to vote in the major party's favour, or at least abstain. The monarch's order nominating a prime ministerial candidate is countersigned by the Speaker of the Congress, who then presents the nominee before the Congress of Deputies in a process known as a parliamentary investiture ( Investidura parlamentaria ). During
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#17327762994541140-428: A prime minister resigns without advising the monarch to call for new elections, dies or becomes incapacitated while in office, then the government as a whole resigns and the process of royal nomination and appointment takes place. The deputy prime minister , or in the absence of such office, the first minister by precedence, would then take over the day-to-day operations in the meantime as acting-prime minister, even while
1235-566: A successful motion of no confidence against former prime minister Mariano Rajoy . Since then, Sánchez has led three governments, the most—along with Adolfo Suárez —just behind fellow socialist Felipe González , prime minister from 1982 to 1996. King Felipe VI re-appointed Sánchez for the third time on 17 November 2023 after he reached a coalition agreement with Sumar and gathered the support of other minor parties. His third government took office on 21 November 2023. The Spanish head of government has been known, since 1939, as "President of
1330-758: Is alleged that the increased personalisation of leadership in a number of states has led to heads of government becoming themselves "semi-presidential" figures, due in part to media coverage of politics that focuses on the leader and his or her mandate, rather than on parliament; and to the increasing centralisation of power in the hands of the head of government. Such allegations have been made against three former British Prime ministers: Margaret Thatcher , Tony Blair , and Boris Johnson . They were also made against Italian prime ministers Silvio Berlusconi and Matteo Renzi , Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau and Federal Chancellor of West Germany (later all of Germany), Helmut Kohl , when in power. The head of government
1425-445: Is also usually the head of government. The relationship between that leader and the government, however, can vary greatly, ranging from separation of powers to autocracy , according to the constitution (or other basic laws) of the particular state. In semi-presidential systems , the head of government may answer to both the head of state and the legislature with the specifics provided by each country's constitution. A modern example
1520-558: Is appointed as such by the sovereign, a Knight or Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III, for which he is awarded the next highest distinction. In addition to these honors, the monarch might offer the former prime minister a peerage , being the highest marks of distinction that he may bestow in his capacity as the fons honorum in Spain. Conventionally, the Title of Concession creating
1615-509: Is dismissed from office the day after the election, but remains in office as a caretaker until his/her successor is sworn in. Following the general election and other circumstances provided for in the Constitution, the sovereign meets with the leaders of the parties represented in the Congress of Deputies, and then consults with the Speaker of the Congress of Deputies ( Spanish : Presidente de Congreso de los Diputados ) as representative of
1710-514: Is not granted, a second vote is scheduled forty-eight hours later in which a simple majority of votes cast (i.e., more "yes" than "no" votes) is required. Following the second vote, if confidence by the Congress is still not reached, then the monarch again meets with political leaders and the Speaker, and submits a new nominee for a vote of confidence (exceptionally, in 2016 King Felipe VI opted for not nominating more candidates and call for new elections). If, within two months, no candidate has won
1805-466: Is often provided with an official residence , often in the same fashion as heads of state often are. The name of the residence is often used as a metonym or alternative title for 'the government' when the office is politically the highest, e.g. in the UK "Downing Street announced today…" Well-known official residences of heads of government include: Similarly, heads of government of federal entities below
1900-435: Is seen as a royal endorsement of the democratic process—a fundamental concept enshrined in the 1978 Constitution. The largest party can end up not ruling if rival parties form a coalition —as happened in 2018 with the election of PSOE leader Pedro Sánchez . More commonly, if neither of the two major parties ( Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is able to command an absolute majority of the Congress by themselves, one will rule as
1995-556: Is the present French government, which originated as the French Fifth Republic in 1958. In France, the president , the head of state, appoints the prime minister , who is the head of government. However, the president must choose someone who can act effectively as an executive, but who also enjoys the support of France's legislature, the National Assembly , to be able to pass legislation. In some cases,
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#17327762994542090-508: Is the second authority of the Kingdom of Spain, outranking all other State authorities except members of the royal family . In 2023, the Prime Minister received a salary of €90,010 and additional €13,422 as member of parliament. With this salary, the prime minister is not the highest paid official of Spain, being surpassed by other State authorities such as the royal family (the King , €269,296;
2185-686: The Cortes Generales . The process is a parliamentary investiture by which the head of government is elected by the Congress of Deputies. In practice, the prime minister is almost always the leader of the largest party in the Congress, although not necessarily. The prime minister's official residence and office is Moncloa Palace in Madrid. Pedro Sánchez , of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), has been prime minister since 2 June 2018. He first came to power after
2280-663: The Constitution of 1876 (article 54). With the fall of the First Republic and the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty on King Alfonso XII , the office maintained its original name until the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera , when it was renamed to President of the Military Directory . In 1925, the original name was restored again. The Republican Constitution of 1931 provided for the prime minister and
2375-584: The Council of Ministers Royal Decrees granting the degrees of Collar and Grand Cross, and all titles of the different degrees of the Royal Order must bear his signature and the monarch's. The last people to join the order were King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and his consort, Queen Maxima , who were awarded the collar and grand cross of the order, respectively, in March 2024 on the occasion of
2470-669: The Deputy Prime Minister and, if there is more than one, by the Deputy Prime Ministers, depending on their order. If there is no deputy prime minister, the Government Act establishes that the prime minister will be replaced by the ministers, according to the order of precedence of the Departments . This means that the first in the line of succession after the deputy prime ministers would be
2565-543: The Minister of Foreign Affairs , followed by the Minister of Justice , the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Finance . These four ministers are the first and great offices created in 1714 by King Philip V . The Order of Charles III, officially the Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, was established in 1771 by King Charles III and is today the country's highest civil honor. The current regulation of
2660-730: The Queen , €148,105; and the Queen Mother , €121,186), the president of the Congress of Deputies (€230,931), the president of the Constitutional Court (€167,169), the president of the Supreme Court (€151,186) and the president of the Court of Auditors (€130,772), among others. The prime minister is constitutionally protected against ordinary prosecution. Although the Prime Minister does not have legal immunity like
2755-545: The Second Spanish Republic ended. Before 1834 the figure was known as " Secretary of State " ( Secretario de Estado ), a denomination used today for junior ministers . Spain was not unique in this regard: it was one of several European parliamentary systems, including France , Italy and the Irish Free State , that styled the head of government as 'presidents' of the government rather than
2850-472: The United States —ministers cannot be members of the legislature, and a legislator chosen to become a minister must resign from the legislature. Normally the leader of the majority party becomes the prime minister , or an office of equivalent function, and selects the other ministers. In the Westminster system, these ministers continue to represent their constituency in parliament while being part of
2945-464: The monarch on the exercise of their royal prerogatives . Although it is not possible to determine when the position actually originated, the office of prime minister has evolved throughout history to what it is today. The role of prime minister (then called Secretary of State) as president of the Council of Ministers, first appears in a royal decree of 1824 by King Ferdinand VII . The current office
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3040-473: The 17th century as "principal minister or prime minister of Spain") although they can not be completely compared. On 19 November 1823, after a brief liberal democratic period called the Liberal Triennium between 1820 and 1823, King Ferdinand VII re-established the absolute monarchy and created the Council of Ministers that continues to exist today. This council, when not chaired by the monarch,
3135-404: The 402nd Air Force Squadron (helicopters). The Parliament, and thus, the Government, sit for a term no longer than four years. Before that date, the prime minister may offer his resignation to the sovereign. If the Prime Minister does so while advising the monarch to dissolve parliament, the sovereign will call for a snap election , but no sooner than a year after the prior general election. If
3230-605: The Chinese Communist Party ( top leader in a one-party system) has always held this office since 1993 except for the months of transition . In directorial systems , the executive responsibilities of the head of government are spread among a group of people. A prominent example is the Swiss Federal Council , where each member of the council heads a department and also votes on proposals relating to all departments. The most common title for
3325-465: The Congress for a vote of confidence . In constitutional matters, the primacy of the prime minister over the ministers is also evident, since the prime ministers alone is responsible for the government initiative to challenge the constitutionality of a law . The Office of the Prime Minister ( Spanish : Presidencia del Gobierno , lit. ' Presidency of the Government ' ) is the combination of government departments and services that are at
3420-525: The Congress' right to withdraw confidence from the government, the Cortes Generales has two ways of forcing the prime minister's resignation: passing a motion of no confidence or rejecting a motion of confidence. In the first case, and following the German model, a prime minister can only be removed by a constructive vote of no confidence . While the Congress can censure the government at any time,
3515-415: The Constitution vests the monarch as the "arbitrator and moderator of the institutions" of government, [The King] arbitrates and moderates the regular functioning of the institutions ( arbitra y modera el funcionamiento regular de las instituciones ). This provision could be understood as allowing the monarch or his government ministers to exercise emergency authority in times of national crisis, such as when
3610-505: The Executive Power and was also head of state . In 1874, the office name reverted to President of the Council of Ministers . Since its inception, the prime minister has been appointed and dismissed by the will of the monarch. Successive constitutions have confirmed this royal prerogative of the monarch in the Constitution of 1837 (article 47), article 46 of the Constitution of 1845 , the Constitution of 1869 (article 68), and
3705-562: The Government" ( Spanish : Presidente del Gobierno ). Not only is this term confusing for English speakers because Spain is not a republic, but because the parliamentary speakers are also referred to as presidents of their respective chambers. For example, both President George W. Bush and his brother, Florida governor Jeb Bush , referred to José María Aznar as "president" on separate occasions, and Donald Trump referred to Mariano Rajoy both as "President" and "Mr. President" during Rajoy's 2017 White House visit. While this term of address
3800-751: The Ministry of the Presidency. The Cabinet Office, through the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Government, is responsible for the protocol and security affairs. Within the General Secretariat, there is a Department of Security of the Presidency of the Government (DSPG) that coordinates the efforts of the National Police Corps and the Civil Guard in the protection of the Prime Minister and his family, as well as
3895-756: The State visit of the Spanish monarchs to the Netherlands. Upon retirement, it is customary for the monarch to grant a prime minister some honour or dignity. The honour bestowed is commonly the Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic , the second highest civil honor, while the ministers receive the Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III (the highest civil distinction). This is because the prime minister is, since he
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3990-400: The Westminster term of 'prime minister' (see President of the Council for the full list of corresponding terms). However the term ' president ' is far older. Since the 15th century, the Spanish monarchs has delegated its executive powers in relevant personalities. Two are the most important: the validos and the secretaries of state . The validos , which existed since early 15th century to
4085-412: The act in question. In these sense, the Constitution grants the prime minister the initiative to request the monarch for calling a referendum , for calling for new elections or for dissolving any of the legislative chambers. In Spain, the government ministers cannot force the prime minister resignation and this idea is reinforced when the Constitution grants the prime minister the sole initiative to request
4180-417: The basis of the strength of party support in the lower house; in some other states, the head of government is directly elected by parliament. Many parliamentary systems require ministers to serve in parliament, while others ban ministers from sitting in parliament (they must resign on becoming ministers). Heads of government are typically removed from power in a parliamentary system by Constitutions differ in
4275-592: The cabinet, controls domestic policy, with the president's influence largely restricted to foreign affairs. In communist states , the General Secretary of the Communist Party is the supreme leader, serving as de facto head of state and government. In China , the de jure head of government is the Premier . The Chinese president is legally a ceremonial office , but the General Secretary of
4370-452: The censure motion must also include the name of a prospective replacement for the incumbent prime minister. If the censure motion is successful, the replacement candidate is automatically deemed to have the confidence of the Congress, and the monarch is required to appoint them as the new prime minister. As of 2023, only Pedro Sánchez managed to remove a sitting prime minister with a vote of no confidence in 2018 , making him prime minister. In
4465-409: The collegial Government , whose members are all appointed and dismissed at the Prime Minister's sole discretion. Under the unwritten British constitution , the prime minister 's role has evolved, based often on the individual's personal appeal and strength of character, as contrasted between, for example, Winston Churchill as against Clement Attlee , Margaret Thatcher as against John Major . It
4560-462: The confidence of the Congress then the monarch dissolves the Cortes and calls for a new general election. The monarch's royal decree is countersigned by the Speaker of the Congress. After the nominee is confirmed, the Speaker of the Congress formally reports the fact to the sovereign. The monarch then appoints the candidate as the new prime minister and this too is countersigned by the Speaker. During
4655-581: The daughter of late prime minister Juan Prim — or the Dukedom of Castillejos —awarded to the other son of the aforementioned prime minister—), it was not until this historical period when it became customary, since King Alfonso XIII granted a total of sixteen of these dignities to former prime ministers or their relatives during his reign. Of these, four were dukedoms (granted to relatives of assassinated prime ministers), three were marquessates and two counties, as well as seven grandships were granted. Likewise,
4750-465: The deputy prime minister themselves may be nominated by the monarch and stand for a vote of confidence. Also, if at the conclusion of the four years, the prime minister has not asked for its dissolution, according to Title II Section 56, the monarch must dissolve the Parliament and call for a new general election. Although the prime minister's position is strengthened by constitutional limits on
4845-401: The dignity must be countersigned by a government minister. When a title is created for a former prime minister, the succeeding prime minister customarily countersigns the royal decree. Although prior to the reign of Alfonso XIII many noble titles were granted —or the rank of those who already possessed it one was raised— to prime ministers and ministers (such as the Dukedom of Prim —granted to
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#17327762994544940-479: The duties of the office of Prime Minister with loyalty to the King, obey and enforce the Constitution as the main law of the State, and preserve in secret the deliberations of the Council of Ministers . Once appointed, the prime minister forms his government whose ministers are appointed and removed by the monarch on the prime minister's advice. In the political life of Spain, the monarch would already be familiar with
5035-456: The government and provides (e.g. by turns) the ceremonial Head of state. The only state in which this system is currently employed is Switzerland but other countries such as Uruguay have employed it in the past . This system is described as the directorial system . See Head of state for further explanation of these cases. In parliamentary systems, government functions along the following lines: All of these requirements directly impact
5130-473: The government exercises executive authority and statutory regulations. The main collective decision-making body of the Government is the Council of Ministers , chaired by the prime minister and, after a formal request by the Prime Minister, by the monarch . There is no provision in the Spanish Constitution for explicitly granting any emergency powers to the government. However, Section 56 of
5225-550: The government ministers since, at least, the 18th century, and in the case of the prime minister, this treatment is reinforced as member of the Order of Charles III , whose article 13 states that "the Knights and the Dames of the Collar, as well as the Knights and Dames Grand Cross, will receive the treatment of Most Excellent Lord and Most Excellent Lady". The Spanish Constitution foresee the office of deputy prime minister and also
5320-580: The government. Individuals who are not in parliament may be appointed as a minister, usually in order to bring special skills to the government. In the United Kingdom, a government minister does not have to be a member of either House of Parliament. In practice, however, convention is that ministers must be members of either the House of Commons or House of Lords in order to be accountable to Parliament. From time to time, prime ministers appoint non-parliamentarians as ministers. This can be done by first appointing
5415-453: The head of government's role. Consequently, they often play a 'day to day' role in parliament, answering questions and defending the government on the 'floor of the House', while in semi-presidential systems they may not be required to play as much of a role in the functioning of parliament. In many countries, the head of government is commissioned by the head of state to form a government, on
5510-477: The head of state can also be the head of government as well ( ex officio or by ad hoc cumulation, such as a ruling monarch exercising all powers himself) but otherwise has formal precedence over the head of government and other ministers, whether he is their actual political superior (ruling monarch, executive president) or rather theoretical or ceremonial in character (constitutional monarch, non-executive president). Various constitutions use different titles, and even
5605-411: The head of state is a figurehead whilst the head of the government leads the ruling party. In some cases a head of government may even pass on the title in hereditary fashion. Such titles include the following: In some models the head of state and head of government are one and the same. These include: An alternative formula is a single chief political body (e.g., presidium ) which collectively leads
5700-434: The head of state is the de jure dominant position does not mean that he/she will not always be the de facto political leader. A skilled head of government like 19th-century German statesman Otto von Bismarck , Minister President of Prussia and later Chancellor of Germany under Emperor / King Wilhelm I , serves as an example showing that possession of formal powers does not equal political influence. In some cases,
5795-488: The head of state may represent one political party but the majority in the National Assembly is of a different party. Given that the majority party has greater control over state funding and primary legislation , the president is in effect forced to choose a prime minister from the opposition party to ensure an effective, functioning legislature. In this case, known as cohabitation , the prime minister, along with
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#17327762994545890-403: The head of state, such as a governor-general , may well be housed in a grander, palace-type residence. However, this is not the case when both positions are combined into one: Junior minister A minister is a politician who heads a ministry , making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also
5985-636: The infraestructure and personnel of the Moncloa Government Complex . The vehicles used by the Prime Minister are provided by the State Vehicle Fleet (PME), an autonomous agency of the Ministry of Finance that provides the government with all type of vehicles and well-trained drivers. The air transportation of the Prime Minister and other government officials is mainly provided by the 45th Air Force Group (planes) and
6080-404: The investiture proceedings, the candidate describes their political agenda in an Investiture Speech to be debated and submitted for a vote of confidence ( Cuestión de confianza ) by the Congress, effecting an indirect election of the head of government. Confidence is awarded if the candidate receives a majority of votes in the first poll (currently 176 out of 350 MPs), but if the confidence
6175-507: The late 17th century were people of the highest confidence of the monarchs and they exercised the Crown's power in the monarch's name. Since the 18th century, the validos disappeared and the secretaries of state were introduced. Both positions were de facto prime ministers (as demonstrated by the fact that since the tenure of the count-duke of Olivares , valido of Felipe IV , the validos were often called by courtiers and authors already in
6270-399: The legislature. Although there is often a formal reporting relationship to a head of state , the latter usually acts as a figurehead who may take the role of chief executive on limited occasions, either when receiving constitutional advice from the head of government or under specific provisions in a constitution. In presidential republics or in absolute monarchies , the head of state
6365-426: The level of the sovereign state (often without an actual head of state, at least under international law) may also be given an official residence, sometimes used as an opportunity to display aspirations of statehood: Usually, the residence of the heads of government is not as prestigious and grand as that of the head of state, even if the head of state only performs ceremonial duties. Even the formal representative of
6460-512: The monarch also rewarded with numerous golden fleeces . King Juan Carlos I wanted to restore this tradition and, therefore, as a reward for their service, the last noble titles granted (both with grandship) were those of Adolfo Suárez (to whom the golden fleece was also awarded in 2007), who was created Duke of Suárez in 1981 and Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo , created Marquess of the Ría de Ribadeo [ es ] in 2002, twenty years after holding
6555-450: The monarch used his authority to back the government of the day and call for the military to abandon the 23-F coup attempt in 1981. The prime minister also assumes political responsibility for most acts of the sovereign. While the monarch is vested with executive power, his acts are not valid unless countersigned by a minister. Under Article 64 of the Constitution, that minister—usually the prime minister—assumes political responsibility for
6650-743: The monarch, the prime minister, as well as the members of the Royal Family, the Government, the Congress of Deputies and the Senate, can only be criminally responsible before the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court ( Spanish Constitution, Part IV § 102 ). Although it is not formally regulated, Spanish custom establishes that the prime minister receives the treatment of The Most Excellent ( Spanish : Excelentísimo Señor, f. Excelentísima Señora ). This treatment has been customary for
6745-457: The oath of office next to religious symbols: Pedro Sánchez , along with most of his Cabinet members. His predecessor, Mariano Rajoy , a Catholic, put his right hand on the Constitution and, at the same time, his left hand on the Bible. As per tradition, if the members of the government choose not to take the oath along with any religious symbols, they use the word "prometo" ("I promise"), whereas if
6840-491: The office acquired the current name, President of the Government, but between that date and 1973 the office was held by Francisco Franco as dictator of Spain. In 1973, Francisco Franco separated the head of state from the head of government, and that division still exists today, with the prime minister democratically elected by the Parliament which is itself elected by universal suffrage, free and equal. Adolfo Suárez
6935-400: The office. The last prime minister to be offered a noble title was Felipe González , who rejected the offer. Since then, neither King Juan Carlos I nor King Felipe VI have offered prime ministers such an honor. Head of government In the executive branch, the head of government is the highest or the second-highest official of a sovereign state , a federated state , or
7030-649: The order, established in October 2002, states that the prime minister is the Grand Chancellor of the Order (second to the Grand Master, the Monarch ). Upon taking office, the new prime minister shall be invested with the degree of Knight or Dame Grand Cross of the Order and with this rank he will act as Grand Chancellor of the same. It is responsibility of the Grand Chancellor to submit to the approval of
7125-599: The person to the House of Lords. Various countries form ministries as Cabinets (see List of cabinets ). Other cabinets are usually included in Politics of .. -articles Specific ministers include: Some ministers may hold multiple portfolios and lead several ministries simultaneously, while multiple ministers with separate portfolios may oversee a single ministry, or may also share both ministerial and deputy-ministerial portfolios in different ministries. A cabinet minister can sometimes be in charge of no ministry at all, and
7220-758: The position changed names frequently. After the Glorious Revolution of 1868 , it was renamed President of the Provisional Revolutionary Joint and later President of the Provisional Government . In 1869, the office resumed the name of President of the Council of Ministers . Following the abdication of King Amadeus I , during the First Republic (1873–1874) the office was known as the President of
7315-765: The possibility of having more than one deputy prime minister. Although the position of deputy prime minister has existed intermittently since 1840, the Constitution endorses what was established in the Organic Act of the State of 1967, which provided for the first time the possibility of appointing more than one deputy and, in 1974, this provision became effective when Prime Minister Carlos Arias Navarro appointed three deputies ( José García Hernández , Antonio Barrera de Irimo and Licinio de la Fuente ). Since then, three more prime ministers ( Adolfo Suárez , José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and Pedro Sánchez ) have had more than one deputy. The second government of Pedro Sánchez holds
7410-476: The practical reality for the Prime Minister of Belgium and the Prime Minister of Finland . Other states however, make their head of government a central and dominant figure within the cabinet system; Ireland's Taoiseach , for example, alone can decide when to seek a parliamentary dissolution, in contrast to other countries where this is a cabinet decision, with the Prime Minister just one member voting on
7505-407: The range and scope of powers granted to the head of government. Some older constitutions; for example, Australia's 1900 text , and Belgium's 1830 text ; do not mention their prime ministerial offices at all, the offices became a de facto political reality without a formal constitutional status. Some constitutions make a Prime Minister primus inter pares ( first among equals ) and that remains
7600-403: The record for most deputies, appointing four. This large number of deputy prime ministerships was interpreted as a maneuver to reduce the political weight of his second deputy prime minister and leader of the minority party in the coalition, Pablo Iglesias Turrión . According to article 101 of the Spanish Constitution, the prime minister and its government only ceases in the cases of resignation,
7695-409: The relation between the head of state and of the legislature, varies greatly among sovereign states, depending largely on the particular system of the government that has been chosen, won, or evolved over time. In most parliamentary systems , including constitutional monarchies , the head of government is the de facto political leader of the government, and is answerable to at least one chamber of
7790-582: The rest of the government to be appointed and dismissed by the President of the Republic but they were responsible before the Parliament and the Parliament could vote to dismiss the prime minister or a minister even against the will of the president of the republic. In the Civil War , the head of government among the Nationalists was called Chief of the Government of the State and since January 1938
7885-406: The same title can have various multiple meanings, depending on the constitutional order and political system of the state in question. In addition to prime minister, titles used for the democratic model, where there is an elected legislative body checking the head of government, include the following. Some of these titles relate to governments below the national level (e.g. states or provinces). In
7980-418: The second case, the prime minister, after deliberation by the Council of Ministers , can propose a vote of confidence regarding the government's policies in Congress. If Congress does not give the prime minister its confidence, the prime minister must resign. As of 2023, only prime minister Adolfo Suárez in 1980 and Felipe González in 1990 proposed a vote of confidence, both successfully. The Prime Minister
8075-497: The service of the Prime Minister to fulfill its constitutional duties. It was established around 1834 when officials and budget began to be assigned to the personal Secretariat of the Prime Minister. Today, it acts as a ministerial department , although it is not formally one of them, and approximately 2,000 people work there. The Prime Minister's Office principal departments are: The autonomous agency Patrimonio Nacional , which manages Crown properties, depends on this Office through
8170-500: The suggestion. In Israel , while the Government is nominally a collegiate body with a primus inter pares role for the Prime Minister , the Israeli Prime Minister is the dominant figure in the executive branch in practice. The Prime Minister of Sweden , under the 1974 Instrument of Government , is a constitutional office with all key executive powers either directly at his or her disposal or indirectly through
8265-541: The swearing-in ceremony presided over by the monarch, customarily at the Audience Hall of the Royal Palace of Zarzuela , the prime minister–designate takes an oath of office over an open Constitution and—at choice since 2014—next to a Bible and a crucifix . The prime minister must take the oath or affirmation placing the right hand on the Constitution. Currently, only one prime minister has refused to take
8360-527: The take the oath with the Bible, they use the word "juro" ("I swear"). The oath as taken by Prime Minister Zapatero on his first term in office on 17 April 2004 was: Juro/Prometo, por mi conciencia y honor, cumplir fielmente las obligaciones del cargo de Presidente del Gobierno con lealtad al Rey, guardar y hacer guardar la Constitución como norma fundamental del Estado, así como mantener el secreto de las deliberaciones del Consejo de Ministros. I swear/promise, under my conscience and honor, to faithfully execute
8455-446: The various political leaders in a professional capacity, and perhaps less formally in a more social capacity, facilitating their meeting following a general election. Conversely, nominating the party leader whose party maintains a plurality and who are already familiar with their party manifesto facilitates a smoother nomination process. In the event of coalitions , the political leaders would customarily have met beforehand to hammer out
8550-487: The whole of parliament), before nominating a candidate for the prime ministership. This process is spelled out in Section 99 of the Constitution. By political custom established by Juan Carlos I since the ratification of the 1978 Constitution, the sovereign's nominees have usually been from parties who have a plurality of seats in the Congress (i.e. the largest party). Although there is no legal requirement for this, it
8645-462: Was chaired by the secretary of state for foreign affairs ( Spanish : Secretario de Estado y del Despacho de Estado ), who acted as prime minister. This role was ratified by the Royal Statute of 1834 , which constitutionalized for the first time the figure of the prime minister under the name of "President of the Council of Ministers", invested with executive powers. During the 19th century,
8740-449: Was derived from the word ' minus ' meaning "less". In jurisdictions that use the Westminster system of government—such as the United Kingdom and Australia —ministers or their equivalents are selected from the legislature, and usually from the political party that controls a majority in the lower house of the legislature. In jurisdictions with strict separation of powers —such as Belgium , Mexico , Netherlands , Philippines , and
8835-458: Was established during the reign of Juan Carlos I , in the 1978 Constitution , which describes the prime minister's constitutional role and powers, how the prime minister accedes to, and is removed from office, and the relationship between the prime minister and Parliament. Upon a vacancy, the monarch nominates a candidate for a vote of confidence by the Congress of Deputies , the lower house of
8930-530: Was not incorrect, it could be misleading to English speakers so prime minister is commonly used as a culturally equivalent term to ensure clarity. Use of the term "president" dates back to 1834 and the regency of Maria Christina when, styled after the head of government of the French July Monarchy (1830), the official title was the "President of the Council of Ministers" ( Presidente del Consejo de Ministros ). This remained until 1939, when
9025-422: Was the first democratically elected prime minister of the post-Franco government. He was originally appointed by King Juan Carlos I on 3 July 1976, and he was confirmed in the office by popular vote after the 1977 Spanish general election . Once a general election has been called by the monarch , political parties designate their candidates to stand for prime minister—usually the party leader. A prime minister
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