Congress of Deputies (Spain)

Congress of Deputies
Congreso de los Diputados
10th Legislature
Type
Type
Leadership
Jesús Posada, PP
since 13 December 2011
Majority Leader and Prime Minister
Mariano Rajoy, PP
since 20 December 2011
Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, PSOE
since 13 December 2011
Structure
Seats 350
Spanish Congress of Deputies after 2011 election.png
Political groups

Government (185)

  •      PP (185)

Opposition (165)

  •      PSOE (110)
  •      CiU (16)
  •      IU (11)
  •      UPyD (5)
  •      PNV (5)
  •      Others (18)
Elections
Party-list proportional representation,
D'Hondt method
Last election
 20 November 2011
Next election
 2015
Meeting place
Palacio de las Cortes
Madrid, Community of Madrid
Kingdom of Spain
Website
www.congreso.es

The Congress of Deputies of Spain, commonly referred to as simply the Congress of Deputies (Spanish: Congreso de los Diputados; Basque: Diputatuen Kongresua; Catalan: Congrés dels Diputats; Galician: Congreso dos Deputados) is the lower house of the Cortes Generales, Spain's legislative branch.

It has 350 members, elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation in constituencies matching the Spanish provinces using the D'Hondt method. Congressmen serve four-year terms. The President of the Congress of Deputies is the analogue to a Speaker and presides over debates in Spain's lower chamber of parliament.

In the Congress, members of the Parliament from the political parties, or groups of parties, form parliamentary groups. Groups must be formed by, at least, 15 MPs, but a group can also be formed with only five MPs if the parties in it got, at least, 5% of the nationwide vote, or 15% of the votes in the constituencies they run for seats.

The MPs belonging to parties who cannot create their own parliamentary group shall form the Mixed Group.[1] The composition of the 10th term Congress is:[2]

Political party/group Leader Spokesperson Dep.
   Popular Group (People's Party)[3] Mariano Rajoy (PM) Alfonso Alonso 185
   Socialist Group (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party)[4] Pedro Sánchez (LO) Soraya Rodríguez 110
   Catalan Group (Convergence and Union) Josep A. Duran i Lleida 16
   Plural Left Group: United Left (8), ICV (2), CHA (1) Cayo Lara 11
   Union, Progress and Democracy Group: Union, Progress and Democracy (5) Rosa Díez 5
   Basque Group (Basque Nationalist Party) Aitor Esteban 5
   Mixed Group, composed of Amaiur (7), ERC (3), BNG (2), CC (2), Compromís (1), Foro Asturias (1), GBai (1), UPN (1)[5] none Mikel Errekondo (Amaiur)[6] 18
Total 350

Latest elections

Elections to the Congress were held on 20 November 2011.

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History

The building, Congreso de los Diputados, has a neoclassical style. It was designed by Narcisco Pascual y Colomer, and built between 1843 and 1850. It sits by the Carrera de San Jerónimo, in Madrid. The relief on the facade by sculptor Ponciano Ponzano centers on a sculpture of Spain embracing the constitutional state, represented by a woman with her arm around a young girl. Surrounding the pair are figures that represent in allegorical form Justice and Peace, Science, Agriculture, Fine Arts, Navigation, Industry, Commerce and so on. Ponzano also executed two bronze lions for the building's access stairway in a more realistic manner.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Information about Parliamentary Groups - Congress of Deputies of Spain
  2. ↑ Parliamentary Groups - Congress of Deputies of Spain
  3. ↑ Alfonso Alonso, spokesperson of PP group - Cope
  4. ↑ Soraya Rodrigez, new spokesperson - Público
  5. ↑ Rajoy 'loses' one MP: Carlos Salvador (UPN) will go to the Mixed Group - Diario Crítico
  6. ↑ Council of spokespeople - Congress website
  7. ↑ "Ponzano y Gascón, Ponciano". Gran Enciclopedia Aragonesa (in Spanish). Retrieved 2012-05-28.

External links

The allegorical front of the building

Coordinates: 40°24′57″N 3°41′48″W / 40.41583°N 3.69667°W