| First Vice President of the Government of Spain Vicepresidente Primero del Gobierno de España |
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Flag of Government Officials |
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| Style | Señor (m) Señora (f) |
| Appointer | Mariano Rajoy |
The First Vice President of the Government of Spain (Spanish: Vicepresidente primero del Gobierno de España), usually known in English as the First Deputy Prime Minister of Spain, is the second in command to the Prime Minister of Spain, filling in for him when he is absent or incapable of exercising his power. The person for the post is usually handpicked by the Prime Minister from the members of the Cabinet. The title of "First" is used to distinguish them from the Second Vice President of the Government, as in the last legislatures there have been usually two. The Headquarters of the First Vice Presidency of the Government of Spain is the Edificio Semillas, in La Moncloa Complex.
Currently Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría is the First Deputy Prime Minister, she assumed the post on the swearing-in of the Rajoy Government in December 2011.
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Being a constitutional monarchy, the government of Spain is headed by a Prime minister but the official title in Spanish is Presidente del Gobierno, literally President of the Government. This can be confusing to foreigners and indeed is to many Spaniards, who sometimes translate the title into English as President. Therefore, the Spanish Vice President of the Government is actually the equivalent of a Deputy Prime Minister, not a Vice President.