Constitution: 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978
Legal system: civil law system, with regional applications; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975); Heir
Apparent Prince FELIPE, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968
head of government: President of the Government Jose Maria AZNAR
Lopez (since 5 May 1996); First Vice President Francisco ALVAREZ
CASCOS Fernandez (since 5 May 1996) and Second Vice President (and
Minister of Economy and Finance) Rodrigo RATO Figaredo (since 5 May
1996)
cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president
note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme
consultative organ of the government
elections: the monarch is hereditary; president proposed by the
monarch and elected by the National Assembly following legislative
elections; election last held 3 March 1996 (next to be held by NA
April 2000); vice presidents appointed by the monarch on proposal of
the president
election results: Jose Maria AZNAR elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote—NA
Legislative branch: bicameral; the General Courts or National
Assembly or Las Cortes Generales consists of the Senate or Senado
(256 seats—208 members directly elected by popular vote and the
other 48 appointed by the regional legislatures to serve four-year
terms) and the Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados
(350 seats; members are elected by popular vote on block lists by
proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate—last held 3 March 1996 (next to be held by April
2000); Congress of Deputies—last held 3 March 1996 (next to be held
by April 2000)
election results: Senate—percent of vote by party—NA; seats by
party—PP 132, PSOE 96, CiU 11, PNV 6, IU 2, others 9; Congress of
Deputies—percent of vote by party—PP 38.9%, PSOE 37.5%, IU 10.7%,
CiU 4.6%; seats by party—PP 156, PSOE 141, IU 21, CiU 16, other 16
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo
Political parties and leaders:
principal national parties, from right to left: Popular Party or PP
Gonzalez]
Soley, secretary general] (a coalition of the Democratic Convergence
Political pressure groups and leaders: on the extreme left, the Basque Fatherland and Liberty or ETA and the First of October Antifascist Resistance Group or GRAPO use terrorism to oppose the unions (authorized in April 1977); Workers Confederation or CC.OO; the Socialist General Union of Workers or UGT and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or USO; business and landowning interests; the Catholic Church; Opus Dei; university students
International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia
Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA,
EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MTCR, NAM (guest), NATO,
NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio OYARZABAL MARCHESI
chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)