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| Valencian Parliament | |
|---|---|
| Name | Valencian Parliament |
| Native name | Les Corts Valencianes |
| House type | Unicameral legislature |
| Established | 1982 |
| Preceding | Deputation of Valencia |
| Leader1 type | President |
| Leader1 | Carlos Mazón |
| Party1 | Partido Popular |
| Election1 | 2023 |
| Members | 93 |
| Last election | 28 May 2023 |
| Meeting place | Palace of the Valencian Parliament, Valencia |
Valencian Parliament is the unicameral legislative body of the Valencian Community, an autonomous entity within Spain. It was constituted under the Statute of Autonomy approved in the early 1980s and exercises legislative, budgetary, and supervisory functions at the regional level. The legislature sits in Valencia city and interacts with Spanish national institutions, provincial councils, and European bodies.
The origins of the modern chamber trace back to medieval Cortes such as the Courts convened in the Crown of Aragon, including assemblies in Valencia (Kingdom of Valencia), Barcelona, and Sarajevo (as comparative assemblies), evolving through institutions like the Diputació del General and later provincial deputations after the Nueva Planta Decrees. During the 19th century, representative bodies such as the Cortes Generales of Spain, the Spanish Restoration parliaments, and municipal councils in Valencia (city), Alicante, and Castellón de la Plana influenced devolved governance. The Second Spanish Republic and the Spanish Civil War interrupted regional autonomy movements; later, the 1978 Spanish Constitution and the 1982 Statute of Autonomy of the Valencian Community formally established the current legislature. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the chamber interacted with national reforms under leaders associated with Adolfo Suárez, Felipe González, and José María Aznar, while regional political dynamics featured parties such as the Partido Popular, Partido Socialista Obrero Español, Bloc Nacionalista Valencià, and later formations like Compromís and Ciudadanos (Spanish political party). Key episodes include budgetary disputes with the Ministry of Finance (Spain), judicial decisions from the Tribunal Constitucional, and electoral disputes adjudicated by the Audiencia Nacional.
The legislature enacts autonomous legislation consistent with the Statute of Autonomy of the Valencian Community and the Spanish Constitution of 1978. It approves regional budgets, exercises control over the Generalitat's executive led by the President of the Generalitat Valenciana, ratifies appointments to bodies such as the Auditoría de la Generalitat and participates in intergovernmental forums like the Conference of Presidents. It can propose organic reforms affecting competencies shared with national institutions like the Cortes Generales, engage with agencies such as the European Commission through delegation, and interface with judicial institutions including the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de la Comunidad Valenciana. The chamber has investigatory powers, can pass motions of censure against the regional executive similar to procedures in the Parliament of Catalonia, and authorizes international cooperation treaties within competence limits set by the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
The legislature comprises 93 deputies elected by universal suffrage. Elections follow proportional representation using the D'Hondt method in multi-member constituencies corresponding to the provinces of Alicante, Castellón, and Valencia (province). Thresholds and seat allocations reflect provisions in the Statute of Autonomy of the Valencian Community and electoral law framed by the Junta Electoral Central. Voting procedures mirror national processes overseen by the Ministry of Interior (Spain) and the Registro Electoral, with citizens registered under the Padron Municipal eligible to vote. The electoral calendar aligns with other regional elections in the Basque Country and Catalonia when varied by investiture outcomes or dissolutions influenced by precedents in Navarre.
Leadership roles include the chamber President, Vice-Presidents, Secretaries, and parliamentary groups representing parties like the Partido Popular, Partido Socialista Obrero Español, Compromís, Vox (political party), and Podemos. Internal bodies comprise the Bureau (Mesa) and the Board of Spokespersons, modeled after procedures in the Congress of Deputies and the Senate of Spain. Administrative support is provided by the parliamentary Secretariat and legal services familiar with jurisprudence from the Tribunal Constitucional and administrative rulings from the Audiencia Nacional. Interactions with provincial institutions such as the Diputación Provincial de Alicante and municipal bodies in Elche and Gandia shape leadership priorities.
Plenary sessions follow an agenda set by the Mesa and the Board of Spokespersons; debates on bills, motions, and questions mirror formats used in the Parliament of Andalusia and Parliament of Galicia. Committees handle specialized portfolios: Finance, Health, Education, Agriculture, and Justice, interfacing with regional departments like the Conselleria de Sanidad Universal and the Conselleria d'Educació. The chamber establishes investigative commissions with powers to summon officials from the Generalitat Valenciana or municipal corporations such as Orihuela and Torrevieja, and it consults experts from universities like the University of Valencia, Miguel Hernández University, and Polytechnic University of Valencia. Legislative oversight includes scrutiny of budgets, regulatory decrees, and appointments, with procedural guidance influenced by rulings from the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de la Comunidad Valenciana.
The legislature meets in a historic palace in Valencia (city), with chambers for plenary sittings, committee rooms, and offices for deputies and staff. Facilities include archives, a library with collections on regional law and history connected to institutions like the Archivo del Reino de Valencia and museums such as the Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia. Security and protocol coordinate with the Ayuntamiento de Valencia and regional police forces including the Cuerpo Nacional de Policía and Policía Local (Valencia). The parliamentary complex hosts cultural events tied to regional celebrations like the Fallas and maintains exhibition spaces showcasing artifacts from the Kingdom of Valencia and modern civic collections.
Political representation has featured major Spanish parties and regional formations: Partido Popular, Partido Socialista Obrero Español, Compromís, Vox (political party), Ciudadanos (Spanish political party), Podemos, and nationalist currents from groups historically linked to the Bloc Nacionalista Valencià and federalist trends seen in the Basque Nationalist Party and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya by analogy. Coalitions and agreements have determined investitures and policy direction, with interactions at national level involving leaders from parties like PSOE and PP and collaboration or tension with European Parliament delegations such as members of the Renew Europe and European Conservatives and Reformists groups. Demographic shifts in cities like Valencia (city), Alicante, and Elche influence electoral outcomes and party strategies ahead of convocatorias held according to the Ley Orgánica del Régimen Electoral General.
Category:Political institutions in the Valencian Community