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| Cortes (Spanish parliament) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Cortes Generales |
| Native name | Cortes Generales |
| Legislature | XIV Legislature |
| House type | Bicameral |
| Foundation | 1812 |
| Leader1 type | Monarch |
| Leader1 | Felipe VI of Spain |
| Leader2 type | President of the Congress |
| Leader2 | Francisco Javier Calvente? |
| Seats | 616 |
| Meeting place | Palacio de las Cortes |
Cortes (Spanish parliament) is the bicameral legislative assembly of the Kingdom of Spain, composed of the Congress of Deputies and the Senate of Spain. It traces institutional continuity from medieval assemblies such as the Cortes of León and the Cortes of Castile through constitutional milestones including the Spanish Constitution of 1812 and the 1978 Constitution. The Cortes exercise legislative, budgetary and oversight functions interacting with the Monarchy of Spain, the Prime Minister of Spain and the Constitutional Court of Spain.
The origins lie in medieval Iberian institutions like the Cortes of León (1188), the Cortes of Castile and the assemblies of Aragon and Navarre, which convened nobles, clergy and urban representatives alongside monarchs such as Alfonso IX of León and Ferdinand III of Castile. Early modern developments included the Habsburg Spain and Bourbon Spain periods where royal councils such as the Council of Castile reduced representative influence, later contested during the Spanish War of Succession and the ascendant Enlightenment debates. Revolutionary and constitutional episodes — the Spanish Constitution of 1812 promulgated at Cádiz during the Peninsular War (1807–1814); the liberal constitutions of 1837, 1869 and 1931; and the Spanish transition after the Francoist Spain era — shaped the modern Cortes under the 1978 Constitution. Major crises and reforms involved the Spanish Civil War, the Second Spanish Republic, and accession to the European Union.
The Cortes are bicameral, comprising the Congress of Deputies as the lower chamber and the Senate of Spain as the upper chamber. The Congress of Deputies has deputies elected under proportional representation in multi-member districts corresponding to Spain's provinces, while the Senate of Spain combines directly elected senators and appointed senators by Autonomous communities of Spain such as Catalonia, Andalusia and Madrid. Leadership posts include the President of the Congress and the President of the Senate, with party groups defined by national entities like the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), the PP, Vox, Podemos and regional parties such as Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya and the Basque Nationalist Party. Institutional facilities include the Palacio de las Cortes and committee rooms for bodies like the Constitutional Commission and the Budget Committee.
The Cortes hold powers established by the 1978 Constitution: enacting organic and ordinary laws, approving the General State Budget of Spain, supervising the Government of Spain and authorizing international treaties such as NATO accession and Treaty of Lisbon-related measures. They confirm and can withdraw confidence from a Prime Minister of Spain via investiture votes and motions of censure like the one used against the Zapatero government or discussed in contexts involving Pedro Sánchez. They may initiate constitutional reform procedures, propose amendments triggered by the Congress of Deputies or the Senate of Spain, and participate in emergency measures such as declarations of state of alarm or state of emergency under constitutional provisions. The Cortes also exercise oversight through specialized committees, inquiries into scandals like corruption cases involving parties such as Gürtel and the adjudicative remit that interacts with the Constitutional Court of Spain.
Legislation can originate from the Government of Spain, the Congress of Deputies, the Senate of Spain, or popular initiatives like those regulated by laws influenced by movements exemplified by 15-M protests. Bills pass first reading in one chamber, committee scrutiny, plenary debates, amendments and eventual approval by both chambers; disputes may be resolved by override mechanisms where the Congress of Deputies can prevail over the Senate of Spain. Budgetary laws follow an accelerated timetable with negotiations between ministries such as the Ministry of Finance and parliamentary budget committees. Judicially sensitive initiatives interact with precedents from the Constitutional Court of Spain and international obligations such as rulings from the European Court of Justice.
The Cortes' relationship with the Monarchy of Spain is formal and constitutional: the monarch summons and dissolves chambers on advice of the Prime Minister of Spain and sanctions laws. The Cortes invest the Prime Minister of Spain and may pass motions of censure to remove a government; confidence relationships were pivotal during minority governments formed by parties like Ciudadanos and coalitions involving Unidas Podemos. Judicial oversight occurs via interaction with the Constitutional Court of Spain, which can strike down statutes passed by the Cortes, and through the appointment processes where the Cortes participate in selecting members of bodies such as the General Council of the Judiciary and judges to international bodies like the European Court of Human Rights via national mechanisms.
Elections to the Congress use the D'Hondt method of proportional representation in provinces such as Barcelona, Seville and Valencia, with electoral districts and thresholds affecting party representation of entities like Coalición Canaria and Junts per Catalunya. Senate elections combine direct plurality in territorial constituencies and appointments by Autonomous communities of Spain, reflecting territorial representation for regions including Galicia and Navarre. Suffrage is universal for citizens meeting age requirements; electoral law reforms and debates have involved controversies over district magnitude, proportionality, and the representation of emigrant voters such as those addressed in reforms after cases like Cámara Electoral disputes.
Parliamentary practice is governed by the standing orders: the Rules of the Congress of Deputies and the Rules of the Senate of Spain, which regulate plenary sessions, question time directed at officials like the Prime Minister of Spain and the Minister of Defence (Spain), committee procedures, interpellations and urgent debates. Parties such as the PSOE, PP, Vox, Podemos and regional groupings use coalition agreements, confidence-and-supply arrangements, and negotiating tactics seen during investiture debates. Ceremonial aspects include addresses by foreign leaders like visits from Emmanuel Macron or representatives of the United Nations; disciplinary provisions cover expulsions, immunity waivers for criminal proceedings, and parliamentary ethics overseen by bodies such as the chamber presidencies.